MBSS Site Summary for: LIBE-266-A-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIBE-266-A-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIBE-266-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 6/6/2007.

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 - 4.0 / 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 3,309 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 2.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 71.4 %
Forested Land Use 24.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat

Instream Habitat 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 25 meters
16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 60 meters
16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 60 %
Embeddedness 30 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:

Water temperature 16.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.9 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.2
Conductivity 200 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
326.4 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.8046 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 271
Longnose Dace 20
Green Sunfish 6
Rosyside Dace 6
Creek Chub 4
Tessellated Darter 3
Central Stoneroller 2
Yellow Bullhead 2
Blacknose Dace 1
Smallmouth Bass 1
White Sucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

Northern Red Salamander
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:

Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:

Canada Thistle
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Privet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 12
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 10
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 9
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 8
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 6
Eurylophella Mayfly 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 3
Diamesinae Non-Biting Midges 3
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 3
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 3
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 2
Haploperla Green Stonefly 2
Tipula Crane Fly 2
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Perlidae Common Stonefly 2
Epeorus Mayfly 2
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 2
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 2
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 2
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 2
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 2
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 1
Leuctridae Rolledwinged Stonefly 1
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Gomphidae Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Probezzia Biting Midges 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Leptoceridae Longhorned Casemaker 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.