MBSS Site Summary for: CORS-250-H-2012

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site CORS-250-H-2012-MidpointPdownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site CORS-250-H-2012-MidpointPupstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on THREE BRIDGES BRANCH in the Corsica River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130507.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/14/2012 and again in the summer on 6/20/2012.

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.
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Catchment area 4,895 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 1.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 71.1 %
Forested Land Use 25.8 %


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 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 136 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 39 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Shading 75 %
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) 7.43
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		1120.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 6.0036 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 12 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 114
Eastern Mudminnow 110
American Eel 75
Green Sunfish 47
Fallfish 38
Redbreast Sunfish 33
Creek Chubsucker 19
Eastern Mosquitofish 8
Least Brook Lamprey 5
Bluegill 4
White Sucker 4
Pumpkinseed 3
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Painted Turtle
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Fowler's Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Northern Water Snake
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Cambarus diogenes
Orconectes limosus
Procambarus clarkii

Exotic Plants:
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 61
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 6
Prosimulium Black Fly 6
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 6
Simulium Black Fly 4
Hydrobaenus Midge 2
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 2
EPHEMERELLIDAE Spiny Crawler Mayfly 2
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 2
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 2
LEPIDOPTERA Aquatic Moth 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 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.