MBSS Site Summary for: CH-S-257-306-95


Located on WOLF DEN BR in the Zekiah Swamp watershed, 8-digit code: 02140108.
This stream was visited in the spring on 2/28/1995 and again in the summer on 6/29/1995.

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 - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 2,995 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 5.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 14.9 %
Forested Land Use 75 %


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 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 95 %
Embeddedness 5 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18.9 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.3 mg/L
pH (lab) 5.74
Conductivity 59 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		33.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 4 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 15 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Rosyside Dace 18
Least Brook Lamprey 16
American Eel 12
Fallfish 11
Tessellated Darter 9
Redfin Pickerel 6
Eastern Mudminnow 4
Creek Chubsucker 3
Bluegill 2
Chain Pickerel 2
Margined Madtom 2
Pirate Perch 2
Pumpkinseed 2
Largemouth Bass 1
Tadpole Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Box Turtle
Fowler's Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Watersnake
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
Prosimulium Black Fly 17
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 17
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 15
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 7
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 7
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 6
Eccoptura Yellow Stone Stonefly 5
Psilotreta Mortarjoint Casemaker Caddisfly 5
Leptophlebia Pronggilled Mayfly 5
Siphloplecton Cleftfooted Minnow Mayfly 5
Gomphidae Clubtail Dragonfly 5
Heleniella European Non-Biting Midge 3
Anchytarsus Beetle 3
Stegopterna Black Fly 3
Eurylophella Mayfly 3
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 3
Conchapelopia Non-Biting Midges 3
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Procladius Non-Biting Midge 1
Brachycentrus Humpless Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Pisidium Freshwater Pea (Pill) Clam 1
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Ceraclea Scaly-Winged Sedge 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.