MBSS Site Summary for: FIMI-207-S-2015


Located on FIFTEEN MILE CREEK in the Fifteen Mile Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140511.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/24/2015 and again in the summer on 7/29/2015.

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 - 4.0 / 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 13,041 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 4.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 6.4 %
Forested Land Use 87.6 %


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 7/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 7/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 58 meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 17 meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Shading 30 %
Embeddedness 0 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.05
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		148.9979 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.4588 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 12 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 88
Potomac Sculpin 59
Creek Chub 52
Bluntnose Minnow 50
Central Stoneroller 17
Fantail Darter 12
Rock Bass 11
Greenside Darter 7
Green Sunfish 6
Longnose Dace 3
Smallmouth Bass 3
White Sucker 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Ringneck Snake
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
Bull Thistle
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 55
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 5
Epeorus Mayfly 5
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 5
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 4
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 3
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 3
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 3
Neophylax Caddisfly 3
Tipula Crane Fly 3
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 2
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 2
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Stilocladius Midge 2
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 2
Capniidae Small Winter Stonefly 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Sweltsa Stonefly 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Penelomax 1
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged 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.