MBSS Site Summary for: BUSH-253-T-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site BUSH-253-T-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site BUSH-253-T-2007-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on James Run in the Bush River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130701.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/12/2007 and again in the summer on 6/29/2007.

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 Poor - 1.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 7,175 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 8.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 55.2 %
Forested Land Use 35.1 %


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 18/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 58 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 28 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 15 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 23.7 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 5.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.62
Conductivity 288 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		717 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.3208 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 24 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 412
Tessellated Darter 85
White Sucker 78
Blacknose Dace 75
Bluegill 74
American Eel 71
Longnose Dace 70
Pumpkinseed 46
Spottail Shiner 38
Common Shiner 28
Satinfin Shiner 24
Swallowtail Shiner 21
Creek Chub 18
Margined Madtom 12
Creek Chubsucker 9
Cutlip Minnow 7
Redbreast Sunfish 6
Green Sunfish 4
Smallmouth Bass 3
Banded Killifish 1
Brown Bullhead 1
River Chub 1
Rosyside Dace 1
Sea Lamprey 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Tree Of Heaven
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydrobaenus Midge 44
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 24
Diamesa Bloodworm 19
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Prosimulium Black Fly 3
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 2
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Diamesinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 1
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 1
Simulium Black Fly 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.