MBSS Site Summary for: AL-A-248-234-95


Located on SAWPIT RUN in the Town Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140512.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/27/1995 and again in the summer on 7/3/1995.

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 Fair - 3.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 1.5 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 3,134 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0 %
Agricultural Land Use 8.5 %
Forested Land Use 91.5 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 5/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 25 %
Embeddedness 0 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 16 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.4 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.3
Conductivity 78 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		400.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 5 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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Redbreast Sunfish 45
Bluntnose Minnow 24
Creek Chubsucker 21
Chain Pickerel 15
Green Sunfish 9
Blacknose Dace 6
Creek Chub 5
Rock Bass 4
Smallmouth Bass 4
Lepomis Hybrid 2
White Sucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
No amphibians and reptiles noted.

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 119
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 12
Stegopterna Black Fly 10
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 8
Dolophilodes Medium Evening Sedge Caddisfly 3
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Caecidotea Isopod 2
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Conchapelopia Non-Biting Midges 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.