MBSS Site Summary for: DOUB-221-R-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site DOUB-221-R-2016_midpoint looking downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site DOUB-221-R-2016_midpoint looking upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Bear Branch 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 6/2/2016.

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 - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 1.8 / 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 3,354 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 11.4 %
Agricultural Land Use 61.3 %
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 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 8/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 46 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 38 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 40 %
Embeddedness 80 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 80%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.75
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		802.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.9102 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
Blacknose Dace 296
Blue Ridge Sculpin 247
White Sucker 63
Rosyside Dace 55
Potomac Sculpin 51
Creek Chub 36
Longnose Dace 24
Fantail Darter 13
Bluegill 11
Redbreast Sunfish 10
Central Stoneroller 9
Green Sunfish 3
Sunfish (Hybrid) 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

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

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 18
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 16
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 14
Prosimulium Black Fly 8
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 7
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 6
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 5
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 5
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 3
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 3
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 3
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 2
Crangonyx Amphipod 2
Antocha Crane Fly 2
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Stenochironomus European Non-Biting Midge 1
Gammarus Amphipod 1
Stilocladius Midge 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Stictochironomus Non-Biting Midge 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.