MBSS Site Summary for: GA-A-236-218-95


Located on BIG SHADE RUN in the Casselman River watershed, 8-digit code: 05020204.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/6/1995 and again in the summer on 8/21/1995.

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 - 3.5 / 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 2,521 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 27 %
Forested Land Use 72.9 %


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 9/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 9/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 4/20 (Poor)
Shading 60 %
Embeddedness 35 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17.9 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.01
Conductivity 175 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		232.4 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0 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 5 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 122
White Sucker 39
Blacknose Dace 32
Fathead Minnow 1
Longnose Dace 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander
American Bullfrog
Northern Dusky Salamander
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 25
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 11
Heleniella European Non-Biting Midge 10
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 8
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 5
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 3
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 3
Allocapnia Small Winter Stonefly 2
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Enchytraeidae Aquatic Worm 2
Bezzia Biting Midge 1
Chelifera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Hexatoma Crane Fly 1
Pteronarcys Giant Stonefly 1
Molophilus 1
Pseudorthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Epeorus Mayfly 1
Ephemera Mayfly 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 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.