MBSS Site Summary for: AL-A-441-309-95


Located on WHITE SULPHUR RUN in the Fifteen Mile Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140511.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/21/1995 and again in the summer on 6/22/1995.

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 Good - 4.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 4,347 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0 %
Agricultural Land Use 0.9 %
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 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 5/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 6/20 (Marginal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 20 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 21 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 11.2 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.92
Conductivity 57 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		118 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 8 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 244
Blacknose Dace 200
Potomac Sculpin 161
Fantail Darter 34
White Sucker 34
Central Stoneroller 7
Smallmouth Bass 2
Greenside Darter 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Northern Dusky Salamander
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambaridae

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Neophylax Caddisfly 15
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 13
Oemopteryx Stonefly 10
Epeorus Mayfly 8
Simulium Black Fly 7
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 6
Acentrella Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 6
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 5
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 5
Lumbriculidae Worm 4
Sweltsa Stonefly 3
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 3
Hexatoma Crane Fly 3
Cinygmula Dark Red Quill Mayfly 3
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 3
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 1
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
Heptagenia 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 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.