MBSS Site Summary for: CASS-105-X-2011

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site CASS-105-X-2011-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site CASS-105-X-2011-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on PINEY CREEK in the Casselman River watershed, 8-digit code: 05020204.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/16/2011 and again in the summer on 6/28/2011.

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 - 3.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.5 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,631 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 7.4 %
Agricultural Land Use 26.6 %
Forested Land Use 64.6 %


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 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 74 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 1 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Shading 20 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.81
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		124.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.773 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 10 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 220
Blacknose Dace 149
White Sucker 22
Rosyside Dace 15
Pumpkinseed 9
Largemouth Bass 4
Green Sunfish 3
Yellow Perch 3
Bluegill 2
Fathead Minnow 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Red Spotted Newt
Northern Dusky Salamander
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No Exotic Plants Observed
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 75
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 8
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
ENCHYTRAEIDAE Aquatic Worm 2
Stegopterna Black Fly 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Dixella 2
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 2
Hyalella Amphipod 1
Platycentropus 1
Chrysops Deerfly 1
Bezzia Biting Midge 1
Ptilostomis Giant Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Tribelos Non-Biting Midges 1
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 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.