MBSS Site Summary for: FIMI-128-A-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site FIMI-128-A-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site FIMI-128-A-2009-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Fifteenmile Creek in the Fifteen Mile Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140511.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/17/2009 and again in the summer on 8/3/2009.

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 Fair - 3.8 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 31,369 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 5.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 4.4 %
Forested Land Use 89.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 16/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 38 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 52 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 10 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 24.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.7 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.45
Conductivity 189 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		315.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.4703 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 15 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Central Stoneroller 122
Longnose Dace 42
Fantail Darter 37
Rainbow Darter 34
Creek Chub 19
River Chub 19
Smallmouth Bass 16
Potomac Sculpin 11
Rock Bass 8
Greenside Darter 7
Common Shiner 6
Fallfish 6
Blacknose Dace 4
Rainbow Trout 1
Redbreast Sunfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Box Turtle
Northern Ring-Necked Snake
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Northern Watersnake

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 43
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 19
Drunella Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 10
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 4
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 4
Ostrocerca Stonefly 4
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 4
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 3
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Taenionema 2
Allocapnia Small Winter Stonefly 2
Oemopteryx Stonefly 2
Heterocloeon 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 1
Epeorus Mayfly 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Alloperla Stonefly 1
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 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.