MBSS Site Summary for: LIBE-124-R-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIBE-124-R-2015_Midpoint-looking-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIBE-124-R-2015_Midpoint-looking-upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on ASPEN RUN in the Liberty Reservoir watershed, 8-digit code: 02130907.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/2/2015 and again in the summer on 7/6/2015.

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 - 5.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 329 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 19.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 66.6 %
Forested Land Use 12.5 %


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 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 52 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 23 meters 		10/20 (Marginal)
Shading 47 %
Embeddedness 26 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.24
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		356.4 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.9871 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 9 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 174
Creek Chub 61
Rosyside Dace 56
Blacknose Dace 47
White Sucker 24
Central Stoneroller 14
Green Sunfish 4
Bluegill 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Honeysuckle
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 17
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 15
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 13
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 10
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 9
Glossosoma Little Black Caddisfly 8
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 6
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 5
Antocha Crane Fly 5
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 5
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 5
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 5
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 3
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 3
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 3
Bezzia Biting Midge 2
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 2
Pseudorthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Baetis Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 1
Chrysops Deerfly 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Isotomidae Springtail 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.