MBSS Site Summary for: BELK-302-X-2017


Located on Big Elk Creek in the Big Elk Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02130606.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/25/2017.

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 N R
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area No data available 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 22.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 49.3 %
Forested Land Use 25.4 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat not sampled
Epifaunal Substrate not sampled
Velocity/Depth Diversity not sampled
Pool Quality not sampled
Riffle Quality not sampled
Shading not sampled
Embeddedness not sampled


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 1 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Spring Peeper

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
HYDROPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 20
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 17
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 13
EUKIEFFERIELLA Non-Biting Midges 6
EMPIDIDAE Dance Fly 5
CHIMARRA Fingernet Caddisfly 4
ISONYCHIA Slate Drake Mayfly 4
THIENEMANNIELLA Non-Biting Midges 3
OULIMNIUS Riffle Beetle 3
HEMERODROMIA Tiny Fly 3
POLYPEDILUM Non-Biting Midges 3
STENELMIS Beetle 3
SIMULIUM Black Fly 3
PERLIDAE Common Stonefly 3
ANTOCHA Crane Fly 3
BAETIS Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 2
MACCAFFERTIUM March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
BRILLIA Non-Biting Midges 1
CRYPTOCHIRONOMUS Non-Biting Midges 1
RHEOCRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 1
TANYPODINAE Non-Biting Midges 1
CERATOPOGONIDAE Biting Midge 1
SAETHERIA 1
NAIDIDAE Aquatic Worm 1
CORBICULA Basket Clam 1
LEUCTRIDAE Rolledwinged Stonefly 1
THIENEMANNIMYIA GROUP Non-Biting Midges 1
FERRISSIA Small Air-Breathing Freshwater Limpets 1
AMPHINEMURA Spring Stonefly 1
EPHEMERELLA Sulphur Mayfly 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.