MBSS Site Summary for: BRET-103-R-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRET-103-R-2016-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRET-103-R-2016-MidpointUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on UT to Brooks Run in the Breton Bay watershed, 8-digit code: 02140104.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/29/2016 and again in the summer on 6/14/2016.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 936 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 11.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 10.5 %
Forested Land Use 65.6 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 9/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 8/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 53 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 22 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 90 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 90%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.5
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		123.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.9394 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 9 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Bluegill 14
Golden Shiner 8
Green Sunfish 5
Tessellated Darter 3
American Eel 2
Chain Pickerel 1
Creek Chubsucker 1
Eastern Mudminnow 1
Least Brook Lamprey 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Eastern Red Spotted Newt
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 77
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 11
Stegopterna Black Fly 10
Pisidium Freshwater Pea (Pill) Clam 4
Hydrobaenus Midge 4
Prosimulium Black Fly 3
Perlesta 2
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 2
Caecidotea Isopod 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 1
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Synurella Amphipod 1
Clioperla Green-Winged Stonefly 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 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.