MBSS Site Summary for: ATKI-101-X-2012

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site ATKI-101-X-2012_DownstreamFromMid-point (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site ATKI-101-X-2012_UpstreamFromMid-point (Opens in a new window)

Located on WHEEL CREEK in the Atkisson Reservoir watershed, 8-digit code: 02130703.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/3/2012 and again in the summer on 6/14/2012.

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 - 1.3 / 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 8/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 8/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 38 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 44 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 80 %
Embeddedness 80 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 80%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
No water quality measurements available for this site.

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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 84
Blue Ridge Sculpin 58
Blacknose Dace 33
Rosyside Dace 6
Eastern Mosquitofish 4
Bluegill 3
Bluntnose Minnow 3
Longnose Dace 2
Redbreast Sunfish 2
White Sucker 2
Fallfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Fowler's Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 44
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 23
Orthocladiinae Midge 9
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 8
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 5
Acentrella Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 5
Simulium Black Fly 4
EMPIDIDAE Dance Fly 4
Girardia Freshwater Flatworm 3
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 3
Tipula Crane Fly 2
Dolophilodes Medium Evening Sedge Caddisfly 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Cardiocladius Non-Biting Midge 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Psephenus Water Penny 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.