MBSS Site Summary for: FURN-204-B-2008

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site FURN-204-B-2008-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site FURN-204-B-2008-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on PRINCIPIO CREEK in the Furnace Bay watershed, 8-digit code: 02130609.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/12/2008 and again in the summer on 6/13/2008.

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 - 4.3 / 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 11,157 acres Cows standing in a stream at a site with high agricultural land use. Cows survey the sampling procedure at this extreme example of a highly agriculturalized site.
Urban Land Use 1.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 53.7 %
Forested Land Use 41.3 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat

Instream Habitat 18/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 65 meters
17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 24 meters
16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 5 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:

Water temperature 19.8 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.8 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.24
Conductivity 181 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
339.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.0496 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 16 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Common Shiner 398
Rosyside Dace 199
Tessellated Darter 188
Blacknose Dace 169
American Eel 127
White Sucker 124
Cutlip Minnow 68
Creek Chub 52
Swallowtail Shiner 31
Northern Hogsucker 20
River Chub 11
Margined Madtom 8
Pumpkinseed 5
Satinfin Shiner 5
Redbreast Sunfish 3
Rainbow Trout 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

American Bullfrog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:

Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:

Garlic Mustard
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Tree Of Heaven
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 23
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 11
Hydrobaenus Midge 9
Prosimulium Black Fly 8
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 5
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 5
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 4
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 4
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 4
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 4
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 3
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 3
Diamesa Bloodworm 2
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 2
Leuctridae Rolledwinged Stonefly 2
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 2
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 2
Allocapnia Small Winter Stonefly 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 1
Hirudinea Leech 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Cardiocladius Non-Biting Midge 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Perlidae Common Stonefly 1
Diploperla 1
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 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.