MBSS Site Summary for: AL-A-294-325-96


Located on TRADING RUN in the Potomac River L N Branch watershed, 8-digit code: 02141001.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/4/1996 and again in the summer on 8/7/1996.

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 Poor - 1.5 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 5,322 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0 %
Agricultural Land Use 9 %
Forested Land Use 89.7 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 5/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 8/20 (Marginal)
Shading 40 %
Embeddedness 45 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 24.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.17
Conductivity 132 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		327.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.9 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 21 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 60
Bluntnose Minnow 51
Central Stoneroller 44
Blacknose Dace 42
Green Sunfish 17
Rock Bass 17
Potomac Sculpin 13
Bluegill 12
Fantail Darter 12
Longnose Dace 12
Smallmouth Bass 12
Blue Ridge Sculpin 6
Spotfin Shiner 6
Common Shiner 3
Creek Chubsucker 2
Fallfish 2
Largemouth Bass 2
Rainbow Darter 2
Golden Redhorse 1
Greenside Darter 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog
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
Prosimulium Black Fly 28
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 15
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 12
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 7
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 5
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 4
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 4
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 1
Corynoneura 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.