MBSS Site Summary for: FIMI-207-S-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site FIMI-207-S-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site FIMI-207-S-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 3/23/2009 and again in the summer on 7/2/2009.

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 - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.5 / 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 13,041 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 4.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 6.8 %
Forested Land Use 88.5 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 10/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 68 meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 24 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 0 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.8 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.25
Conductivity 67 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		258.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.8145 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
Potomac Sculpin 285
Blacknose Dace 75
Fantail Darter 52
Rainbow Darter 46
Central Stoneroller 40
Creek Chub 34
Bluntnose Minnow 29
Greenside Darter 15
White Sucker 7
Longnose Dace 2
Blue Ridge Sculpin 1
Creek Chubsucker 1
Northern Hogsucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 28
Prosimulium Black Fly 23
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 12
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 11
Epeorus Mayfly 9
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 5
Taenionema 5
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Leucrocuta Mayfly 1
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 1
Haploperla Green Stonefly 1
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 1
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 1
Sweltsa 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.