MBSS Site Summary for: AL-A-646-207-95


Located on RUBY HOLLOW in the Potomac River AL Cnty watershed, 8-digit code: 02140508.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/24/1995 and again in the summer on 6/21/1995.

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 Poor - 1.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.5 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 850 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0 %
Agricultural Land Use 0.3 %
Forested Land Use 99.5 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 2/20 (Poor)
Epifaunal Substrate 1/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 2/20 (Poor)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		1/20 (Poor)
Riffle Quality 0/20 (Poor)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 50 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Poor' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17.8 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 2.7 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (2.7 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
pH (lab) 7.19
Conductivity 105 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		313.5 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 1 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
No Fish Observed 0
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad

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 46
Epeorus Mayfly 34
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 10
Ostrocerca Stonefly 9
Stegopterna Black Fly 7
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 5
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 4
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 2
Oemopteryx Stonefly 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Amphipoda Scud 1
Dolophilodes Medium Evening Sedge Caddisfly 1
Isoperla Stripetail 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.