MBSS Site Summary for: CORS-121-X-2006


Located on Alder Branch in the Corsica River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130507.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/25/2006 and again in the summer on 7/24/2006.

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 - 4.7 / 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 461 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 0 %
Agricultural Land Use 74 %
Forested Land Use 24 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 56 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 19 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 95 %
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 20.4 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.9 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.17
Conductivity 242 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		679.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 14.2376 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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
American Eel 116
Tessellated Darter 91
Eastern Mudminnow 51
Least Brook Lamprey 34
Pumpkinseed 32
Eastern Mosquitofish 23
Creek Chubsucker 7
Golden Shiner 6
Bluegill 5
Brown Bullhead 4
Redbreast Sunfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Gartersnake
Northern Green Frog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus
Procambarus clarkii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 21
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 12
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 11
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 6
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 5
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 5
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 5
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 5
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 4
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 3
Paratendipes European Non-Biting Midge 3
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Simulium Black Fly 3
Calopteryx Damselfly 2
Paramerina Non-Biting Midge 2
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 2
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 2
Pisidiidae Pill Clam 2
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
Hydroporus Water Beetle 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Cladotanytarsus Non-Biting Midge 1
Anchytarsus Beetle 1
Helichus Beetle 1
Bezzia Biting Midge 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning 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.