MBSS Site Summary for: DOUB-218-R-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site DOUB-218-R-2016_midpoint downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site DOUB-218-R-2016_midpoint upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Big Silver Run in the Double Pipe Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140304.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/2/2016 and again in the summer on 9/9/2016.

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 - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 3,474 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 53 %
Forested Land Use 35.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 8/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 6/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 60 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 15 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 40 %
Embeddedness 75 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 75%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.68
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		712.99 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.0287 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
Rosyside Dace 218
Blacknose Dace 202
Creek Chub 53
Blue Ridge Sculpin 33
White Sucker 24
Fantail Darter 22
Eastern Silvery Minnow 17
Bluntnose Minnow 13
Potomac Sculpin 12
Longnose Dace 10
Green Sunfish 4
Yellow Bullhead 4
Central Stoneroller 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 37
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 12
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 11
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 9
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 8
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 5
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 3
Stenacron Mayfly 3
Antocha Crane Fly 3
Simulium Black Fly 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Capniidae Small Winter Stonefly 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 2
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 2
Corixidae Water Boatman 1
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Lype Net Tube Caddisfly 1
Stylogomphus Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Neoplasta 1
Ephemera 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.