MBSS Site Summary for: BRET-408-R-2002

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRET-408-R-2002-389 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRET-408-R-2002-390 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRET-408-R-2002-571 (Opens in a new window)

Located on MACINTOSH RUN in the Breton Bay watershed, 8-digit code: 02140104.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/12/2002 and again in the summer on 7/2/2002.

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 - 3.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 14,509 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 5 %
Agricultural Land Use 24 %
Forested Land Use 69 %


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 10/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 71 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 4 meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Shading 99 %
Embeddedness 39 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 21.1 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 2.6 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (2.6 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
pH (lab) 7.33
Conductivity 210 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		612.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 4.4 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 7 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Eastern Mudminnow 27
American Eel 15
Tessellated Darter 7
Least Brook Lamprey 6
Redbreast Sunfish 5
Pirate Perch 2
Margined Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Box Turtle
Gray Treefrog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Sphaerium Fingernail Clam 12
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 9
Labrundinia Non-Biting Midges 9
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 6
Pycnopsyche Great Autumn Brown Sedge Caddisfly 6
Leptophlebia Pronggilled Mayfly 5
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 5
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 4
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 4
Stenelmis Beetle 3
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 3
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 3
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Gyrinus Whirlygig Beetle 3
Lumbriculidae Worm 2
Eurylophella Mayfly 2
Conchapelopia Non-Biting Midges 2
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 2
Ceratopogonidae Biting Midge 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Cultus 2
Menetus Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 2
Gomphus Clubtail Dragonfly 2
Hydropsychidae Common Netspinner Caddisfly 2
Caecidotea Isopod 2
Oecetis Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Hexatoma Crane Fly 1
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 1
Clioperla Green-Winged Stonefly 1
Gammarus Amphipod 1
Synurella Amphipod 1
Siphloplecton Cleftfooted Minnow Mayfly 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Boyeria Spotted Darner Dragonfly 1
Dineutus Whirlygig Beetle 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 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.