MBSS Site Summary for: DEER-203-R-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site DEER-203-R-2017-MidpointLookingDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site DEER-203-R-2017-MidpointLookingUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Little Deer Creek in the Deer Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02120202.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/21/2017 and again in the summer on 8/2/2017.

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 - 4.3 / 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 8,116 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 7.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 57 %
Forested Land Use 33 %


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 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 60 meters
17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 21 meters
16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 35 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:

pH (lab) 7.74
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
443.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.5738 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 22 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
White Sucker 116
Blue Ridge Sculpin 81
Blacknose Dace 52
Fallfish 48
Cutlip Minnow 43
Creek Chub 35
Common Shiner 31
American Eel 30
Longnose Dace 22
Northern Hogsucker 18
Bluegill 15
River Chub 13
Margined Madtom 9
Spottail Shiner 9
Tessellated Darter 8
Satinfin Shiner 6
Largemouth Bass 5
Sea Lamprey 5
Redbreast Sunfish 3
Brown Trout 1
Spotfin Shiner 1
Swallowtail Shiner 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

Gray Treefrog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:

Cambarus bartonii bartonii
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:

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

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
EPHEMERELLA Sulphur Mayfly 29
POLYPEDILUM Non-Biting Midges 18
RHEOCRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 17
MACCAFFERTIUM March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 17
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 16
NEOPHYLAX Caddisfly 15
TANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 12
CHIMARRA Fingernet Caddisfly 11
RHEOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 10
CRANGONYX Amphipod 8
OULIMNIUS Riffle Beetle 7
AMPHINEMURA Spring Stonefly 5
DIAMESA Bloodworm 5
ANTOCHA Crane Fly 5
CLINOCERA Aquatic Dance Fly 4
LEUCTRA  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 3
PROSIMULIUM Black Fly 3
HYDROPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
ABLABESMYIA Non-Biting Midge 3
THIENEMANNIMYIA GROUP Non-Biting Midges 3
POLYCENTROPUS Tube Maker Caddisfly 3
ISONYCHIA Slate Drake Mayfly 2
ZAVRELIMYIA Non-Biting Midges 2
CRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 2
MICROTENDIPES Non-Biting Midges 2
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 2
CHAETOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 2
HYDROBAENUS Midge 2
ORTHOCLADIINAE Midge 2
ARGIA Narrow-Winged Damselfly 2
ENCHYTRAEIDAE Aquatic Worm 2
EURYLOPHELLA Mayfly 2
LEUCROCUTA Mayfly 1
TELOGANOPSIS Mayfly 1
HEPTAGENIIDAE Flathead Mayfly 1
HAPLOPERLA Green Stonefly 1
DICRANOTA Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
GOERA 1
BAETIS Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 1
PERLIDAE Common Stonefly 1
CORYNONEURA Non-Biting Midges 1
PARAPHAENOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 1
PHAENOPSECTRA Non-Biting Midges 1
PISIDIIDAE Pill Clam 1
BAETIDAE Small Minnow Mayfly 1
PROSTOIA Spring Stonefly 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.