MBSS Site Summary for: ATKI-101-X-2010

Site Photos

Located on UT to Atkisson Reservoir (Wheel Creek) in the Atkisson Reservoir watershed, 8-digit code: 02130703.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/21/2010 and again in the summer on 7/16/2010.

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 - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 393 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 46.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 19 %
Forested Land Use 34.6 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 9/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 32 meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 53 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.51
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		816 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.9814 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 12 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 217
Eastern Mosquitofish 198
Blacknose Dace 122
Creek Chub 114
Bluntnose Minnow 70
Fallfish 38
White Sucker 9
Brown Bullhead 4
Longnose Dace 4
Rosyside Dace 4
Common Shiner 3
Tessellated Darter 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Fowler's Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 34
Dolophilodes Medium Evening Sedge Caddisfly 29
Naididae Aquatic Worm 7
Simulium Black Fly 5
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 5
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 4
Orthocladiinae Midge 4
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 4
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 3
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Baetis Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 3
Acentrella Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 3
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 2
Empididae Dance Fly 2
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 2
Cryptochironomus Non-Biting Midges 1
Limnophyes Non-Biting Midge 1
Chironomus Non-Biting Midges 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Diamesa Bloodworm 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 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.