MBSS Site Summary for: BELK-303-R-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site BELK-303-R-2016_midpoint downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site BELK-303-R-2016_midpoint upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Big Elk Creek in the Big Elk Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02130606.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/9/2016 and again in the summer on 7/11/2016.

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 - 3.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 29,558 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 22.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 49 %
Forested Land Use 23.9 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 10 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 75 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 50 %
Embeddedness 30 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.68
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		474.4 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.1638 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 19 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 895
Longnose Dace 615
Common Shiner 413
White Sucker 347
Blacknose Dace 264
River Chub 240
American Eel 208
Tessellated Darter 164
Rosyface Shiner 135
Cutlip Minnow 117
Margined Madtom 106
Northern Hogsucker 98
Swallowtail Shiner 79
Spottail Shiner 38
Rosyside Dace 33
Creek Chub 13
Smallmouth Bass 8
Redbreast Sunfish 4
Sea Lamprey 3
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Porcelainberry
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 34
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 27
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 16
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 9
Antocha Crane Fly 9
Neophylax Caddisfly 4
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 3
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Hirudinea Leech 1
Glossosoma Little Black Caddisfly 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Epeorus Mayfly 1
Prosimulium 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.