MBSS Site Summary for: BELK-305-R-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site BELK-305-R-2016_midpoint downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site BELK-305-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 3/16/2016 and again in the summer on 8/3/2016.

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 - 4.3 / 5.0
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 30,650 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 21.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 49 %
Forested Land Use 24.6 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 17/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 20 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 65 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 30 %
Embeddedness 50 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.79
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		529.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.9993 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 22 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 302
Common Shiner 244
American Eel 233
Margined Madtom 225
White Sucker 211
Longnose Dace 159
Blacknose Dace 149
Cutlip Minnow 146
River Chub 128
Northern Hogsucker 112
Tessellated Darter 103
Spottail Shiner 89
Creek Chub 41
Rosyface Shiner 32
Swallowtail Shiner 22
Smallmouth Bass 9
Redbreast Sunfish 6
Sea Lamprey 5
Bluegill 3
Pumpkinseed 2
Rosyside Dace 2
Largemouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 34
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 19
Antocha Crane Fly 13
Micrasema 9
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 8
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 6
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 6
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 5
Leucotrichia 3
Orthocladiinae Midge 3
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Crangonyx Amphipod 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Corydalus Dobsonfly 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 1
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 1
Hemerodromia Tiny 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.