MBSS Site Summary for: CR-P-999-323-96


Located on BEAVER RUN in the Liberty Reservoir watershed, 8-digit code: 02130907.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/12/1996 and again in the summer on 7/12/1996.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 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 6,434 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 4.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 71 %
Forested Land Use 24.3 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat

Instream Habitat 19/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 18/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters
18/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 19/20 (Optimal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 15 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:

Water temperature 17.6 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.4 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.36
Conductivity 187 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
366.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1 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 13 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 369
Blacknose Dace 191
Central Stoneroller 167
Rosyside Dace 74
Longnose Dace 51
White Sucker 48
Common Shiner 35
Cutlip Minnow 23
River Chub 10
Creek Chub 6
Largemouth Bass 6
Northern Hogsucker 6
Bluegill 4
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

Eastern American Toad
Long-Tailed Salamander
Northern Ring-Necked Snake
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:

Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:

No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 35
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 27
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 9
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 6
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 5
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 4
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 4
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 3
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 3
Oemopteryx Stonefly 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Perlidae Common Stonefly 1
Pteronarcys Giant Stonefly 1
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Microtendipes 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.