MBSS Site Summary for: LIBE-202-A-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIBE-202-A-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIBE-202-A-2007-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Middle Run in the Liberty Reservoir watershed, 8-digit code: 02130907.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/21/2007 and again in the summer on 6/7/2007.

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 Good - 4.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,511 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 1.3 %
Agricultural Land Use 78.3 %
Forested Land Use 20.1 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat

Instream Habitat 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 51 meters
13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 31 meters
15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 35 %
Embeddedness 50 %


Stream Water Quality:

Water temperature 17.9 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.96
Conductivity 138 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
300.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.8649 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 127
Blacknose Dace 48
Rosyside Dace 47
Creek Chub 24
White Sucker 10
Longnose Dace 6
Central Stoneroller 2
Bluntnose Minnow 1
Cutlip Minnow 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

Northern Green Frog
Northern Red Salamander
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:

Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:

Canada Thistle
Garlic Mustard
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Shrub Honeysuckle
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 16
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 14
Antocha Crane Fly 13
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 13
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 8
Prosimulium Black Fly 8
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 6
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 4
Anchytarsus Beetle 3
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 3
Simulium Black Fly 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 2
Leuctridae Rolledwinged Stonefly 2
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 1
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Perlidae Common Stonefly 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 1
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 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.