MBSS Site Summary for: FURN-101-S-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site FURN-101-S-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site FURN-101-S-2009-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on UT Principio Creek in the Furnace Bay watershed, 8-digit code: 02130609.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/25/2009 and again in the summer on 6/8/2009.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 730 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 17 %
Forested Land Use 79.8 %


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 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 50 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 26 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 10 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 15.6 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.7 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.78
Conductivity 78 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		200.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.5685 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 7 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Rosyside Dace 62
Blacknose Dace 44
Creek Chub 15
Blue Ridge Sculpin 14
American Eel 9
Cutlip Minnow 1
Margined Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 45
Epeorus Mayfly 14
Prosimulium Black Fly 11
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 11
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 5
Eurylophella Mayfly 4
Hexatoma Crane Fly 3
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 2
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 2
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 2
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 2
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Sweltsa Stonefly 1
Leuctridae Rolledwinged Stonefly 1
Gomphidae Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Paraleptophlebia Blue Quill Mayfly 1
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 1
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 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.