MBSS Site Summary for: BUSH-205-X-2006


Located on Bush Creek in the Bush River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130701.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/30/2006 and again in the summer on 7/12/2006.

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 Poor - 1.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 7,061 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 8 %
Agricultural Land Use 55 %
Forested Land Use 36 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 50 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 65 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 24.6 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.7
Conductivity 230 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		761.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.9255 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 21 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 214
American Eel 55
Common Shiner 55
Satinfin Shiner 48
Tessellated Darter 40
Bluegill 37
Blacknose Dace 33
Creek Chub 29
White Sucker 29
Longnose Dace 26
Swallowtail Shiner 19
Margined Madtom 16
Golden Shiner 8
Northern Hogsucker 8
Largemouth Bass 6
Pumpkinseed 6
Cutlip Minnow 3
Redbreast Sunfish 3
Redfin Pickerel 3
Green Sunfish 2
Rosyside Dace 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydrobaenus Midge 46
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 28
Orthocladiinae Midge 12
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 9
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 4
Simulium Black Fly 3
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 3
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 2
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown 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.