MBSS Site Summary for: CORS-216-X-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site CORS-216-X-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site CORS-216-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 6/3/2009.

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 Good - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 5.0 / 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 4,705 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 70 %
Forested Land Use 28 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 64 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 20 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 80 %
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 19.3 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.3 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.46
Conductivity 214 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		696.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 5.6558 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
American Eel 58
Fallfish 58
Tessellated Darter 51
Rosyside Dace 31
Least Brook Lamprey 19
Bluegill 12
White Sucker 7
Eastern Mudminnow 6
Redbreast Sunfish 5
Pirate Perch 3
Sea Lamprey 3
Margined Madtom 2
Redfin Pickerel 2
Creek Chubsucker 1
Lepomis Hybrid 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
Cambarus diogenes
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 25
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 11
Gammarus Amphipod 10
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 6
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 5
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 5
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 5
Orthocladiinae Midge 3
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Gomphidae Clubtail Dragonfly 3
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 3
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 3
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 2
Pisidiidae Pill Clam 2
Goniobasis 2
Sphaerium Fingernail Clam 2
Campeloma 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Nanocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Progomphus 1
Calopteryx Damselfly 1
Synurella Amphipod 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Prosimulium Black Fly 1
Leptophlebia Pronggilled Mayfly 1
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 1
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 1
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 1
Limnodrilus Worm 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.