MBSS Site Summary for: AL-A-380-303-96


Located on MILL RUN in the Potomac River L N Branch watershed, 8-digit code: 02141001.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/15/1996 and again in the summer on 6/19/1996.

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 Fair - 3.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 3,590 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0 %
Agricultural Land Use 8.1 %
Forested Land Use 91.6 %


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 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 95 %
Embeddedness 65 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 65%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.7 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.39
Conductivity 95 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		395.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.2 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 4 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 70
Creek Chub 18
Potomac Sculpin 12
Fantail Darter 9
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 18
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 9
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 9
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 7
Cinygmula Dark Red Quill Mayfly 6
Paraleptophlebia Blue Quill Mayfly 4
Ostrocerca Stonefly 4
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 4
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 4
Hexatoma Crane Fly 3
Epeorus Mayfly 3
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 2
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 2
Gomphidae Clubtail Dragonfly 2
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 2
Perlidae Common Stonefly 2
Diamesa Bloodworm 2
Bezzia Biting Midge 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Baetidae Small Minnow Mayfly 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.