MBSS Site Summary for: GA-A-542-304-97


Located on MUDDY CR in the Youghiogheny River watershed, 8-digit code: 05020201.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/4/1997 and again in the summer on 7/29/1997.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.8 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 12,142 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 18.3 %
Forested Land Use 69.2 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 17/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 16/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 35 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.2 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.54
Conductivity 49 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		42.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.9 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 4 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 36
Blacknose Dace 9
White Sucker 8
Rainbow Trout 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander
Eastern Red-Backed Salamander
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus carinirostris

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 16
Promoresia Riffle Beetle 14
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 8
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 7
Prosimulium Black Fly 6
Perlidae Common Stonefly 4
Epeorus Mayfly 4
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Hexatoma Crane Fly 3
Tallaperla Roach-Like Stonefly 3
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 3
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 2
Pteronarcys Giant Stonefly 2
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 2
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 2
Stenelmis Beetle 2
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 1
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 1
Potthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 1
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning 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.