MBSS Site Summary for: CE-P-009-303-96


Located on BIG ELK CR in the Big Elk Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02130606.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/21/1996 and again in the summer on 9/25/1996.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 29,559 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 2.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 68.6 %
Forested Land Use 28.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 50 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 16 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.7 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.26
Conductivity 136 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		403.4 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.9 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 18 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Common Shiner 141
Blue Ridge Sculpin 81
Margined Madtom 71
River Chub 49
Creek Chub 47
Redbreast Sunfish 40
Tessellated Darter 37
American Eel 33
White Sucker 20
Blacknose Dace 19
Northern Hogsucker 16
Cutlip Minnow 10
Sea Lamprey 5
Smallmouth Bass 5
Longnose Dace 3
Brown Trout 1
Spottail Shiner 1
Swallowtail Shiner 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydrobaenus Midge 16
Prosimulium Black Fly 11
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 10
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 9
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 8
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 6
Epeorus Mayfly 4
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 4
Diamesa Bloodworm 3
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 2
Tipula Crane Fly 2
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 2
Sweltsa Stonefly 1
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 1
Promoresia Riffle Beetle 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow 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.