MBSS Site Summary for: BRET-450-H-2011

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRET-450-H-2011-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRET-450-H-2011-2 (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 3/8/2011 and again in the summer on 6/23/2011.

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 Good - 4.4 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 17,422 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 4.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 26.2 %
Forested Land Use 67.9 %


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 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 63 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 16 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 20 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.09
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		298.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 5.9086 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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Redbreast Sunfish 97
Tessellated Darter 84
Swallowtail Shiner 35
Spottail Shiner 24
American Eel 20
Eastern Mudminnow 17
Green Sunfish 8
Least Brook Lamprey 7
Pirate Perch 4
Tadpole Madtom 3
Blacknose Dace 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
No Exotic Plants Observed
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 53
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 12
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 9
Caecidotea Isopod 8
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 5
Neophylax Caddisfly 4
DIAMESINAE Non-Biting Midges 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Hexatoma Crane Fly 2
Musculium Fingernail Clam 2
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 2
Psephenus Water Penny 1
Ectopria Water Penny Beetle 1
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
CAPNIIDAE Small Winter Stonefly 1
Siphlonurus Gray Drake Mayfly 1
Pycnopsyche Great Autumn Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
CHLOROPERLIDAE Green Stonefly 1
Goniobasis 1
Micrasema 1
Gammarus Amphipod 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 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.