MBSS Site Summary for: COCA-112-N-2003

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site COCA-112-N-2003-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site COCA-112-N-2003-2 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site COCA-112-N-2003-3 (Opens in a new window)

Located on UT POTOMAC RIVER in the Potomac River L N Branch watershed, 8-digit code: 02141001.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/15/2003 and again in the summer on 7/30/2003.

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 Poor - 2.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 513 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0 %
Agricultural Land Use 1 %
Forested Land Use 98 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 7/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 6/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 53 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 31 meters 		10/20 (Marginal)
Shading 92 %
Embeddedness 15 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 16.5 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.4 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.88
Conductivity 94 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		159.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.6 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 100
Blacknose Dace 64
Green Sunfish 26
White Sucker 16
Brown Bullhead 3
Banded Killifish 1
Brown Trout 1
Common Shiner 1
Fallfish 1
Potomac Sculpin 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Epeorus Mayfly 40
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 38
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 10
Prosimulium Black Fly 3
Tipula Crane Fly 3
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 3
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 3
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 3
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Sweltsa Stonefly 2
Hexatoma Crane Fly 2
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 1
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 1
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 1
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Parachaetocladius Non-Biting Midge 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Stygobromus Amphipod 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 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.