MBSS Site Summary for: AL-A-177-232-95


Located on DEEP RUN in the Fifteen Mile Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140511.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/23/1995 and again in the summer on 6/20/1995.

Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) Results:

An Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) is a scientific tool used to identify and classify stream health. An IBI associates anthropogenic influences on a stream or with biological condition in the stream, and is formulated using data developed from biosurveys.
Details on the development and application of MBSS IBIs are in this document.
Fish IBI Good - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.5 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 3,482 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0 %
Agricultural Land Use 1.1 %
Forested Land Use 99 %


Stream showing woody debris, logs, and rocky substrate.
An example of woody debris in a stream.

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 8/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 6/20 (Marginal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 30 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 3.4 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (3.4 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
pH (lab) 6.7
Conductivity 48 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		94.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2 mg/L

Biological Stream Condition:

Surveys of the organisms living within a stream can give indications of stream health. Species richness, or the number of different species present, as well as indicator species (species whose presence, absence or abundance can serve as a measure of environmental conditions) are informative for stream health. 		Close-up of a mayfly indicator species.

Fish Survey Results:
The following 3 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 42
Potomac Sculpin 37
Creek Chub 8
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Dusky Salamander
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Acentrella Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 50
Neophylax Caddisfly 16
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 16
Prosimulium Black Fly 10
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 9
Ostrocerca Stonefly 9
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 6
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 5
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 4
Hexatoma Crane Fly 3
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 2
Clioperla Green-Winged Stonefly 1
Cardiocladius Non-Biting Midge 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Paraleptophlebia Blue Quill Mayfly 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 1
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 1
Crangonyx Amphipod 1
Ceratopogon Biting Midge 1
Probezzia Biting Midges 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Kick net sampling for macroinvertebrates.
Sampling with a kick net.

Information disclaimer: The information and data on this page is for guidance and general planning purposes only. It should not be used to make decisions on specific matters.