MBSS Site Summary for: FURN-217-A-2010

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site FURN-217-A-2010-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site FURN-217-A-2010-2 (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 3/9/2010 and again in the summer on 7/2/2010.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 10,222 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 1.3 %
Agricultural Land Use 55.6 %
Forested Land Use 39.6 %


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 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 41 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 58 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 0 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 8.59
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		351.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.7145 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 13 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 874
Common Shiner 274
Rosyside Dace 230
White Sucker 208
Creek Chub 163
American Eel 159
Cutlip Minnow 145
Tessellated Darter 110
Margined Madtom 55
Northern Hogsucker 52
River Chub 34
Pumpkinseed 9
Blue Ridge Sculpin 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Ring-Necked Snake
Northern Water Snake
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Burning Bush
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 22
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 18
Hydrobaenus Midge 17
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 11
Prosimulium Black Fly 10
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 5
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Diamesa Bloodworm 3
Ceratopsyche 3
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 3
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Diamesinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Stygobromus Amphipod 1
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 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.