MBSS Site Summary for: BA-P-191-211-96


Located on MURPHY RUN in the Prettyboy Reservoir watershed, 8-digit code: 02130806.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/15/1996 and again in the summer on 6/10/1996.

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 - 5.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.7 / 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 2,047 acres Cows standing in a stream at a site with high agricultural land use. Cows survey the sampling procedure at this extreme example of a highly agriculturalized site.
Urban Land Use 2.4 %
Agricultural Land Use 88.9 %
Forested Land Use 8.3 %


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 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 70 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 70%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17.1 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.9 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.76
Conductivity 194 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		512.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.1 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 14 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 594
Blacknose Dace 219
Fantail Darter 109
Longnose Dace 73
Creek Chub 56
Central Stoneroller 40
Rosyside Dace 16
Bluegill 7
White Sucker 6
Green Sunfish 3
Bluntnose Minnow 1
Fathead Minnow 1
Lepomis Hybrid 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Dusky Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 44
Stegopterna Black Fly 7
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 7
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 4
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Paraleptophlebia Blue Quill Mayfly 3
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 2
Conchapelopia Non-Biting Midges 2
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 2
Serratella Mayfly 2
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 1
Bezzia Biting Midge 1
Prosimulium Black Fly 1
Simulium Black Fly 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.