MBSS Site Summary for: FIMI-423-A-2010

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site FIMI-423-A-2010-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site FIMI-423-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 6/29/2010.

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 - 4.7 / 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 34,944 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 6 %
Agricultural Land Use 4.3 %
Forested Land Use 89.6 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 9/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 7/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 78 meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 16 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Shading 45 %
Embeddedness 30 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.265
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		191.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.5323 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 321
Bluntnose Minnow 174
Common Shiner 74
Rainbow Darter 73
Creek Chub 72
Longnose Dace 60
Fallfish 52
Fantail Darter 44
River Chub 44
Blacknose Dace 29
Rock Bass 28
Potomac Sculpin 24
Redbreast Sunfish 13
Greenside Darter 12
Smallmouth Bass 12
White Sucker 9
Northern Hogsucker 4
Golden Redhorse 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Drunella Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 26
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 16
Prosimulium Black Fly 11
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 8
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 6
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 4
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 3
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 3
Polycentropodidae Trupetnet And Tubemaking Caddisfly 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 2
Stenelmis Beetle 2
Perlidae Common Stonefly 2
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 2
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 2
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 2
Leuctridae Rolledwinged Stonefly 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Caenis Mayfly 1
Taeniopterygidae Winter 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.