MBSS Site Summary for: CORS-214-X-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site CORS-214-X-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site CORS-214-X-2009-2 (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 3/11/2009 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 Fair - 3.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.9 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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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 8/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 2/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 56 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 45 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 45 %
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:
Water temperature 18.8 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.4 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.51
Conductivity 227 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		883.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 5.0805 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 14 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Fallfish 59
Tessellated Darter 29
American Eel 26
Redbreast Sunfish 8
Rosyside Dace 8
Bluegill 5
Eastern Mudminnow 5
Least Brook Lamprey 3
White Sucker 3
Green Sunfish 2
Satinfin Shiner 2
Banded Killifish 1
Eastern Mosquitofish 1
Margined Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Box Turtle
Eastern Gartersnake
Eastern Ratsnake
Fowler's Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Northern Watersnake
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 12
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 10
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 10
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 10
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 9
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 7
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 6
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 5
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 4
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 4
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 4
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 3
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 3
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Simulium Black Fly 2
Stegopterna Black Fly 2
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 2
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 2
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 1
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 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.