MBSS Site Summary for: HA-N-036-206-96


Located on CARSINS RUN in the Swan Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02130706.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/26/1996 and again in the summer on 7/17/1996.

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 Poor - 2.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 6,737 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 5.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 48.6 %
Forested Land Use 45.3 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 10/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 3/20 (Poor)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 20.7 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.3 mg/L
pH (lab) 9.04
Conductivity 165 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		510.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.4 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 14 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Swallowtail Shiner 106
Cutlip Minnow 94
White Sucker 88
American Eel 62
Tessellated Darter 56
Rosyside Dace 43
Creek Chub 37
Common Shiner 28
Pumpkinseed 14
Redbreast Sunfish 13
Largemouth Bass 5
Margined Madtom 4
Blacknose Dace 1
River Chub 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Dusky Salamander

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladiinae A Non-Biting Midges 94
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 6
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 2
Eurylophella Mayfly 2
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 2
Heptagenia 1
Caenis Mayfly 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 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.