MBSS Site Summary for: GA-A-407-313-97


Located on NORTH BR CASSELMAN R in the Casselman River watershed, 8-digit code: 05020204.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/3/1997 and again in the summer on 8/26/1997.

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 - 3.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 5,089 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0 %
Agricultural Land Use 21.4 %
Forested Land Use 77.9 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 35 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 16 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.57
Conductivity 85 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		69.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.7 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 6 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 95
Creek Chub 69
Northern Hogsucker 14
Rock Bass 7
Common Shiner 5
White Sucker 5
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
No amphibians and reptiles noted.

Crayfish:
Cambarus

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 11
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 10
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 8
Antocha Crane Fly 7
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 7
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 7
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 6
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 6
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 4
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 3
Eurylophella Mayfly 3
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 2
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 2
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Psilotreta Mortarjoint Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 1
Leptoceridae Longhorned Casemaker 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.