MBSS Site Summary for: ATKI-101-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site ATKI-101-X-2017-MidpointLookingDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site ATKI-101-X-2017-MidpointLookingUpstream (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 4/20/2017 and again in the summer on 7/14/2017.

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 - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 1.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 393 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 67.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 5 %
Forested Land Use 23.7 %


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 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 41 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 34 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 47 %
Embeddedness 41 %


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 13 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 96
Bluntnose Minnow 93
Creek Chub 79
Blacknose Dace 76
White Sucker 32
Pumpkinseed 11
Common Shiner 9
Redbreast Sunfish 9
Rosyside Dace 7
Fallfish 6
Eastern Mosquitofish 2
Fathead Minnow 2
Longnose Dace 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Eastern American Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Water Snake
Pickerel Frog
Queen Snake
Red-Eared Slider

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
PARAMETRIOCNEMUS Non-Biting Midges 44
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 26
TVETENIA Non-Biting Midges 10
DIAMESA Bloodworm 8
MICROPSECTRA Non-Biting Midges 4
BRILLIA Non-Biting Midges 4
POTTHASTIA Non-Biting Midges 4
CHAETOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 2
TANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 2
THIENEMANNIELLA Non-Biting Midges 2
THIENEMANNIMYIA GROUP Non-Biting Midges 1
CHIRONOMUS Non-Biting Midges 1
EMPIDIDAE Dance Fly 1
NAIDIDAE Aquatic Worm 1
SIMULIUM Black Fly 1
SYMPOTTHASTIA Non-Biting Midges 1
POLYPEDILUM Non-Biting Midges 1
ZAVRELIMYIA Non-Biting Midges 1
ACENTRELLA Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
LUMBRICULIDAE Worm 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.