MBSS Site Summary for: FIMI-401-A-2010

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site FIMI-401-A-2010-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site FIMI-401-A-2010-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Fifteen Mile Creek in the Fifteen Mile Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140511.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/25/2010 and again in the summer on 7/1/2010.

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 - 5.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.5 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 38,048 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 5.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 4.7 %
Forested Land Use 89.5 %


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 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 3 meters 		10/20 (Marginal)
Shading 55 %
Embeddedness 5 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.27
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		187.4 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.5821 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 18 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Central Stoneroller 98
Rainbow Darter 69
Fantail Darter 36
Longnose Dace 32
Rock Bass 30
Creek Chub 23
Potomac Sculpin 22
Smallmouth Bass 17
Fallfish 12
Redbreast Sunfish 11
River Chub 9
Blacknose Dace 8
Greenside Darter 8
Northern Hogsucker 5
Common Shiner 3
Green Sunfish 2
Margined Madtom 2
White Sucker 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Red-Spotted Newt

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Drunella Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 45
Prosimulium Black Fly 15
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 11
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 6
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 5
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 4
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 3
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 3
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 3
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 3
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 1
Haploperla Green Stonefly 1
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
Caenis Mayfly 1
Perlidae Common Stonefly 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Oemopteryx Stonefly 1
Ostrocerca Stonefly 1
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 1
Capniidae Small Winter Stonefly 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
Psephenus Water Penny 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.