MBSS Site Summary for: CE-P-071-305-97


Located on CONOWINGO CR in the Conowingo Dam Susq R watershed, 8-digit code: 02120204.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/5/1997 and again in the summer on 7/1/1997.

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 - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 28,628 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 0.3 %
Agricultural Land Use 78.5 %
Forested Land Use 20.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 16/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 18/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 37 %
Embeddedness 15 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 21.1 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.8 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.5
Conductivity 226 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		793.4 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 5.1 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 25 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Common Shiner 187
Longnose Dace 149
White Sucker 73
Largemouth Bass 66
River Chub 56
Central Stoneroller 50
Spottail Shiner 50
Green Sunfish 36
Smallmouth Bass 36
Yellow Bullhead 31
Spotfin Shiner 25
Rock Bass 18
Tessellated Darter 16
Bluegill 12
Creek Chub 11
Northern Hogsucker 9
Margined Madtom 7
Cutlip Minnow 6
Rosyside Dace 6
Swallowtail Shiner 4
Bluntnose Minnow 2
Pumpkinseed 2
American Eel 1
Brown Trout 1
Common Carp 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Red-Backed Salamander
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 51
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 14
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 9
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 6
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 3
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Diamesa Bloodworm 3
Prosimulium Black Fly 3
Heptagenia 2
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 1
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Corydalus Dobsonfly 1
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 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.