MBSS Site Summary for: CORS-204-R-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site CORS-204-R-2015_Midpoint-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site CORS-204-R-2015_Midpoint-upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on MILL STREAM BRANCH in the Corsica River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130507.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/16/2015 and again in the summer on 7/17/2015.

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 - 4.1 / 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 3,224 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 6.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 62.4 %
Forested Land Use 30.3 %


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 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 41 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 34 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 100 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 100%. This is very high, and may adversely affect biotic communities.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.9
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		445.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 10.0364 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 15 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 45
Rosyside Dace 44
American Eel 25
Fallfish 22
Margined Madtom 8
Redfin Pickerel 8
Green Sunfish 7
Least Brook Lamprey 7
Redbreast Sunfish 7
Creek Chubsucker 5
Eastern Mudminnow 5
Pirate Perch 1
Pumpkinseed 1
Sea Lamprey 1
White Sucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Green Frog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 63
Gammarus Amphipod 15
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 4
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 3
Stegopterna Black Fly 2
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 2
Stilocladius Midge 2
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Pseudorthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Hexatoma Crane Fly 1
Calopteryx Damselfly 1
Pycnopsyche Great Autumn Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Hyalella Amphipod 1
Synurella Amphipod 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 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.