MBSS Site Summary for: BRET-404-R-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRET-404-R-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRET-404-R-2007-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on McIntosh Run in the Breton Bay watershed, 8-digit code: 02140104.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/27/2007 and again in the summer on 7/23/2007.

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 - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 5.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 14,469 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 5.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 24 %
Forested Land Use 69.7 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 6/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 73 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 2 meters 		3/20 (Poor)
Shading 60 %
Embeddedness 25 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 21.5 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 4.2 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (4.2 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
pH (lab) 7
Conductivity 111 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		279.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.3831 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
Least Brook Lamprey 85
Sea Lamprey 58
American Eel 35
Redbreast Sunfish 33
Spottail Shiner 30
Eastern Mudminnow 19
Swallowtail Shiner 19
Tessellated Darter 10
Pumpkinseed 4
Green Sunfish 3
Bluegill 2
Eastern Mosquitofish 2
Largemouth Bass 2
Yellow Perch 2
Chain Pickerel 1
Creek Chubsucker 1
Golden Shiner 1
Margined Madtom 1
Pirate Perch 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Ratsnake
Marbled Salamander
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog
Spotted Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus diogenes
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Common Reed (Phragmites)
Japanese Honeysuckle
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 18
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 17
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 11
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 11
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 8
Sphaerium Fingernail Clam 6
Gammarus Amphipod 5
Siphloplecton Cleftfooted Minnow Mayfly 4
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 3
Eurylophella Mayfly 3
Pisidiidae Pill Clam 3
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 2
Pycnopsyche Great Autumn Brown Sedge Caddisfly 2
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Macromia 2
Pseudosuccinea Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Campeloma 1
Goniobasis 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 1
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 1
Cura Flatworm 1
Caecidotea Isopod 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 1
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Dineutus Whirlygig Beetle 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.