MBSS Site Summary for: DOUB-319-R-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site DOUB-319-R-2016-MidpoiintDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site DOUB-319-R-2016-MidpointUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Big Pipe Creek in the Double Pipe Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140304.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/13/2016 and again in the summer on 8/19/2016.

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 - 5.0 / 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 35,238 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 %
Agricultural Land Use 54.8 %
Forested Land Use 33.3 %


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 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 50 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 40 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 30 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 8.45
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		894 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.225 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 23 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 329
Blacknose Dace 263
Bluntnose Minnow 62
Potomac Sculpin 57
White Sucker 54
Spottail Shiner 48
Northern Hogsucker 40
Central Stoneroller 31
Longnose Dace 31
Rosyface Shiner 29
Fantail Darter 27
Green Sunfish 27
Common Shiner 23
Redbreast Sunfish 16
Creek Chub 15
Spotfin Shiner 13
Greenside Darter 11
Silverjaw Minnow 11
Cutlip Minnow 6
Tessellated Darter 4
Bluegill 3
Yellow Bullhead 3
Margined Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Water Snake

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Shrub Honeysuckle
Tree Of Heaven
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Crangonyx Amphipod 21
Paratendipes European Non-Biting Midge 8
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 8
Plauditus Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 8
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 7
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 7
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 6
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 6
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 5
Baetidae Small Minnow Mayfly 4
Orthocladiinae Midge 3
Perlidae Common Stonefly 3
Simulium Black Fly 3
Diamesa Bloodworm 2
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 1
Dineutus Whirlygig Beetle 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Leptoxis Freshwater Snail 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 1
Chironomini Non-Biting Midge 1
Cricotopus 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.