MBSS Site Summary for: CR-P-284-328-96


Located on BIG PIPE CR in the Double Pipe Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140304.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/13/1996 and again in the summer on 9/26/1996.

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 - 5.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 25,440 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 %
Forested Land Use 24.5 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 17/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 16/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 19/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		19/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 78 %
Embeddedness 27 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 13.7 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.5 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.53
Conductivity 180 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		558.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.3 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 24 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 178
Creek Chub 80
Eastern Silvery Minnow 78
White Sucker 50
Blacknose Dace 47
Bluntnose Minnow 39
Potomac Sculpin 36
Spottail Shiner 35
Rosyside Dace 30
Silverjaw Minnow 22
Longnose Dace 18
Northern Hogsucker 18
Fantail Darter 14
Bluegill 10
Common Shiner 8
Greenside Darter 4
Central Stoneroller 2
Margined Madtom 2
Redbreast Sunfish 2
Tessellated Darter 2
American Eel 1
Golden Shiner 1
Pumpkinseed 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Spring Peeper

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 11
Ostrocerca Stonefly 8
Orthocladiinae A Non-Biting Midges 7
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 5
Capniidae Small Winter Stonefly 4
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 4
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 3
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Ephemera Mayfly 3
Enchytraeidae Aquatic Worm 2
Potthastia Non-Biting Midges 2
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Prosimulium Black Fly 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Paraleptophlebia Blue Quill Mayfly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Larsia Non-Biting Midge 1
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 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.