MBSS Site Summary for: FIMI-202-R-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site FIMI-202-R-2014-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site FIMI-202-R-2014-MidpointUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on BLACK SULFUR RUN in the Fifteen Mile Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140511.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/26/2014 and again in the summer on 6/4/2014.

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 Good - 4.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,377 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 4.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 2.8 %
Forested Land Use 93 %


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 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 53 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 31 meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 5 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.23
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		141.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.3019 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 4 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Potomac Sculpin 159
Blacknose Dace 115
Creek Chub 80
Fantail Darter 11
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
No amphibians and reptiles noted.

Crayfish:
Cambarus
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 34
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 16
Sweltsa Stonefly 8
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 8
Neophylax Caddisfly 6
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 6
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 4
Cinygmula Dark Red Quill Mayfly 4
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 3
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 3
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 3
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 3
Lumbriculidae Worm 2
Taenionema 2
Hexatoma Crane Fly 2
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 2
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Empididae Dance Fly 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 1
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 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.