MBSS Site Summary for: GA-A-076-209-96


Located on BLUE LICK RUN in the Savage River watershed, 8-digit code: 02141006.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/23/1996 and again in the summer on 6/26/1996.

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 Fair - 3.5 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 3,913 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 13.7 %
Forested Land Use 86.1 %


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 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 19/20 (Optimal)
Shading 75 %
Embeddedness 50 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 13.4 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.4 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.92
Conductivity 37 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		98.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.7 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
Blue Ridge Sculpin 100
Blacknose Dace 90
Potomac Sculpin 21
Longnose Dace 15
Creek Chub 7
Fantail Darter 3
Brown Trout 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander
Eastern Red-Backed Salamander
Northern Dusky Salamander
Red-Spotted Newt

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 27
Epeorus Mayfly 24
Cinygmula Dark Red Quill Mayfly 12
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 12
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 5
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 4
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 4
Diamesa Bloodworm 3
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 2
Ceratopogon Biting Midge 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Blepharicera Net-Winged Midges 1
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 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.