MBSS Site Summary for: DEER-408-R-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site DEER-408-R-2015_Midpoint-looking-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site DEER-408-R-2015_Midpoint-looking-upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on DEER CREEK in the Deer Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02120202.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/1/2015 and again in the summer on 8/13/2015.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 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 91,680 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 11.3 %
Agricultural Land Use 48.5 %
Forested Land Use 37.1 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 8 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 75 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 25 %
Embeddedness 20 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.65
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		488.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.0834 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 21 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
American Eel 278
Spottail Shiner 184
Tessellated Darter 165
Fallfish 148
River Chub 109
White Sucker 90
Margined Madtom 70
Cutlip Minnow 55
Longnose Dace 40
Common Shiner 38
Rosyface Shiner 31
Blue Ridge Sculpin 30
Blacknose Dace 25
Sea Lamprey 23
Satinfin Shiner 16
Northern Hogsucker 15
Swallowtail Shiner 8
Redbreast Sunfish 7
Creek Chub 4
Smallmouth Bass 2
Rock Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern American Toad
Northern Green Frog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 28
Antocha Crane Fly 12
Psephenus Water Penny 10
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 7
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 6
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 5
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 5
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 4
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 4
Neophylax Caddisfly 3
Brachycentridae Humpless Case Maker Caddisfly 3
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 3
Agnetina Golden Stoneflies 2
Tipula Crane Fly 2
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 2
Glossosomatidae Saddlecase Maker Caddisfly 2
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 2
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Helopicus 1
Nectopsyche 1
Gammarus Amphipod 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 1
Parametriocnemus 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.