MBSS Site Summary for: CASS-101-X-2015


Located on PLEASANT VALLEY RUN in the Casselman River watershed, 8-digit code: 05020204.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/15/2015 and again in the summer on 7/27/2015.

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 Poor - 2.5 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 1.8 / 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 2,170 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 4.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 5 %
Forested Land Use 88.3 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 10/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 74 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 1 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 5 %
Embeddedness 80 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 80%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.14
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		43.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.8724 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 8 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 18
Blacknose Dace 11
Brown Bullhead 9
Golden Shiner 6
Pumpkinseed 5
River Chub 5
Rock Bass 5
White Sucker 4
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
Cambarus carinirostris

Exotic Plants:
No Exotic Plants Observed
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Stegopterna Black Fly 72
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 31
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 2
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 2
Simulium Black Fly 2
Platycentropus 1
Prosimulium Black Fly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
Caenis Mayfly 1
Oxyethira Microcaddisfly 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Argia Narrow-Winged Damselfly 1
Labrundinia Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia Group 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.