MBSS Site Summary for: CR-P-243-333-96


Located on BIG PIPE CR in the Double Pipe Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140304.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/6/1996 and again in the summer on 8/12/1996.

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 Poor - 2.5 / 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 12,950 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 0.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 74.9 %
Forested Land Use 23.9 %


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 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 18/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 45 %
Embeddedness 35 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17.1 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.24
Conductivity 182 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		647.1 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.2 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 20 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 320
Blacknose Dace 89
Potomac Sculpin 62
Creek Chub 50
Longnose Dace 48
Rosyside Dace 33
White Sucker 25
Spottail Shiner 15
Fantail Darter 13
Satinfin Shiner 7
Bluntnose Minnow 4
Common Shiner 3
Greenside Darter 3
Northern Hogsucker 3
Bluegill 2
Rock Bass 2
Rosyface Shiner 2
Central Stoneroller 1
Eastern Silvery Minnow 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 29
Prosimulium Black Fly 27
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 20
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 4
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 4
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 2
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 1
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 1
Psychomyia Trumpet-Net Caddisfly 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.