MBSS Site Summary for: DEER-101-X-2011

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site DEER-101-X-2011-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site DEER-101-X-2011-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on CATTAIL BRANCH UT in the Deer Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02120202.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/14/2011 and again in the summer on 6/8/2011.

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 Good - 4.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 417 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 7.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 47.5 %
Forested Land Use 44.9 %


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 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 56 meters
15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 28 meters
16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 80 %
Embeddedness 20 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:

pH (lab) 6.84
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
180.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.605 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 10 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 172
Rosyside Dace 125
Creek Chub 116
Blacknose Dace 83
American Eel 24
Cutlip Minnow 18
White Sucker 18
Sea Lamprey 10
Longnose Dace 5
Bluegill 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

Eastern American Toad
Eastern Red-Backed Salamander
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:

Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:

Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 44
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 10
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 8
Eurylophella Mayfly 7
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 5
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 4
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 4
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 4
EPHEMERELLIDAE Spiny Crawler Mayfly 3
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 3
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 2
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Anchytarsus Beetle 1
Ceratopogon Biting Midge 1
CALOPTERYGIDAE Broad-Winged Damselfly 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Ormosia Cranefly 1
Chrysops Deerfly 1
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Glossosoma Little Black Caddisfly 1
Dolophilodes Medium Evening Sedge Caddisfly 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
LIMNEPHILIDAE Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 1
BAETIDAE Small Minnow 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.