MBSS Site Summary for: FURN-101-S-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site FURN-101-S-2015_Midpoint-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site FURN-101-S-2015_Midpoint-upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on PRINCIPIO CREEK UT in the Furnace Bay watershed, 8-digit code: 02130609.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/12/2015 and again in the summer on 6/12/2015.

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 Good - 5.0 / 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 6.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 9.9 %
Forested Land Use 70.2 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 13 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 62 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 80 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 80%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.67
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		135.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.255 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 8 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Rosyside Dace 152
Blacknose Dace 58
Blue Ridge Sculpin 27
Margined Madtom 15
American Eel 10
Creek Chub 8
Cutlip Minnow 3
Tessellated Darter 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 39
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 14
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 9
Epeorus Mayfly 7
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 6
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 5
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 5
Hexatoma Crane Fly 4
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 3
Leuctridae Rolledwinged Stonefly 3
Perlidae Common Stonefly 3
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Enchytraeidae Aquatic Worm 2
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 2
Pycnopsyche Great Autumn Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
Glossosoma Little Black Caddisfly 1
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Probezzia Biting Midges 1
Gomphidae Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Natarsia Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 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.