MBSS Site Summary for: CORS-214-X-2006


Located on Mill Stream Branch in the Corsica River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130507.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/6/2006 and again in the summer on 8/3/2006.

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 - 5.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.4 / 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 7,781 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 2 %
Agricultural Land Use 74 %
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 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 22 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 35 %
Embeddedness 80 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 80%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 25.4 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 6.4 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.42
Conductivity 245 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		940.1 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 4.6173 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 22 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Eastern Mudminnow 172
Tessellated Darter 135
Least Brook Lamprey 81
American Eel 68
Fallfish 57
Eastern Mosquitofish 28
Spottail Shiner 25
Satinfin Shiner 16
Creek Chubsucker 15
Redbreast Sunfish 9
Pirate Perch 8
Rosyside Dace 7
Redfin Pickerel 6
Bluegill 5
Golden Shiner 4
Margined Madtom 2
Striped Bass 2
Brown Bullhead 1
Green Sunfish 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Pumpkinseed 1
White Sucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Common Five-Lined Skink
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Fowler's Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Northern Watersnake
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 23
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 17
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 17
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 15
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 6
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 4
Potthastia Non-Biting Midges 2
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 2
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 2
Simulium Black Fly 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Naididae Aquatic Worm 1
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Pisidiidae Pill Clam 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.