MBSS Site Summary for: LIBE-206-A-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIBE-206-A-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIBE-206-A-2007-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Little Morgan 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 - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 2,093 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 4.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 78.8 %
Forested Land Use 16.3 %


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 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 50 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 40 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 60 %
Embeddedness 30 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 14.5 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 10 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.59
Conductivity 188 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		500.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.9539 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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 251
Blacknose Dace 136
Rosyside Dace 81
Creek Chub 61
Longnose Dace 30
Central Stoneroller 10
Bluntnose Minnow 8
White Sucker 8
Cutlip Minnow 3
Tessellated Darter 2
Green Sunfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Spotted Salamander
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Japanese Honeysuckle
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Shrub Honeysuckle
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 23
Stenelmis Beetle 17
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 10
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 9
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 6
Diamesinae Non-Biting Midges 5
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 4
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 4
Prosimulium Black Fly 4
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 3
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Anchytarsus Beetle 2
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Stilocladius Midge 1
Diamesa Bloodworm 1
Perlidae Common Stonefly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 1
Ferrissia Small Air-Breathing Freshwater Limpets 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.