MBSS Site Summary for: FIMI-307-R-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 7/30/2015.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 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 13,171 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 4.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 5.9 %
Forested Land Use 88.2 %


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 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 73 meters 		20/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 9 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Shading 20 %
Embeddedness 5 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.04
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		151.1 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.3812 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 17 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 113
Bluntnose Minnow 67
Potomac Sculpin 63
Rock Bass 29
Green Sunfish 15
Blacknose Dace 12
White Sucker 10
Fantail Darter 7
Smallmouth Bass 6
Rainbow Trout 4
Redbreast Sunfish 4
Bluegill 3
Creek Chubsucker 3
Central Stoneroller 2
Chain Pickerel 2
Brown Trout 1
Northern Hogsucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Red Spotted Newt
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 62
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 8
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 6
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 5
Neophylax Caddisfly 5
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 4
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 4
Cinygmula Dark Red Quill Mayfly 3
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 2
Epeorus Mayfly 2
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Ostrocerca Stonefly 2
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 2
Leuctridae Rolledwinged Stonefly 2
Capniidae Small Winter Stonefly 2
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Stenacron Mayfly 1
Parachaetocladius Non-Biting Midge 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Taenionema 1
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Probezzia 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.