MBSS Site Summary for: COCA-118-N-2004


Located on POTOMAC R UT 17 in the Potomac River WA Cnty watershed, 8-digit code: 02140501.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/22/2004 and again in the summer on 6/21/2004.

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 - 2.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.5 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,057 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 7 %
Agricultural Land Use 26 %
Forested Land Use 67 %


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 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 55 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 41 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 35 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18.7 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.3 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.42
Conductivity 96 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		275.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.9 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 10 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 68
Creek Chub 11
Green Sunfish 5
Bluntnose Minnow 4
Largemouth Bass 4
White Sucker 3
Central Stoneroller 2
Bluegill 1
Fathead Minnow 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 26
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 23
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 16
Epeorus Mayfly 10
Dolophilodes Medium Evening Sedge Caddisfly 7
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 5
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 4
Eccoptura Yellow Stone Stonefly 3
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Heleniella European Non-Biting Midge 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Baetis Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 1
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
Caecidotea Isopod 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Acentrella Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Lumbriculidae 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.