MBSS Site Summary for: CORS-110-X-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site CORS-110-X-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site CORS-110-X-2009-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on UT Mill Stream Branch in the Corsica River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130507.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/11/2009 and again in the summer on 6/8/2009.

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 - 4.4 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 691 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 6 %
Agricultural Land Use 69 %
Forested Land Use 23 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 7/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 52 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 29 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 60 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 60%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18.3 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 6.5 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.25
Conductivity 307 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		827.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.968 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
Tessellated Darter 39
Eastern Mudminnow 24
American Eel 16
Bluegill 7
Green Sunfish 6
Pirate Perch 2
Rosyside Dace 2
Fallfish 1
Pumpkinseed 1
White Sucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Common Five-Lined Skink
Gray Treefrog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Privet
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 18
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 17
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 13
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 13
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 9
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 7
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 6
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 6
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 5
Simulium Black Fly 5
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 3
Gammarus Amphipod 2
Stenelmis Beetle 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Synurella Amphipod 1
Anchytarsus Beetle 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Calopteryx Damselfly 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 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.