MBSS Site Summary for: CH-S-333-216-95


Located on PINEY BR in the Zekiah Swamp watershed, 8-digit code: 02140108.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/1/1995 and again in the summer on 6/21/1995.

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 - 4.4 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 3,972 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 10.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 24.3 %
Forested Land Use 62.2 %


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 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 75 %
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:
Water temperature 22.4 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 5.5 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.48
Conductivity 96 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		126.5 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 16 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Rosyside Dace 111
Eastern Mudminnow 54
Tessellated Darter 49
Fallfish 30
American Eel 12
Redfin Pickerel 11
Margined Madtom 10
Least Brook Lamprey 9
Creek Chubsucker 8
Bluegill 6
Golden Shiner 3
Pumpkinseed 3
Blacknose Dace 2
White Sucker 2
Green Sunfish 1
Pirate Perch 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Box Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Southern Leopard 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 31
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 20
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 9
Neophylax Caddisfly 8
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 6
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 5
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 5
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Eccoptura Yellow Stone Stonefly 1
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 1
Calopteryx Damselfly 1
Crangonyx Amphipod 1
Naididae Aquatic Worm 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 1
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 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.