MBSS Site Summary for: LIEL-318-R-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIEL-318-R-2017-MidpointFacingDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIEL-318-R-2017-MidpointFacingUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Little Elk Creek in the Little Elk Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02130605.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/5/2017 and again in the summer on 8/3/2017.

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 - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 12,484 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 17.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 57.9 %
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 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 61 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 28 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Shading 50 %
Embeddedness 10 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.72
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		830.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.5583 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 23 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Common Shiner 200
River Chub 95
American Eel 92
Margined Madtom 69
Cutlip Minnow 59
Redbreast Sunfish 55
Swallowtail Shiner 48
White Sucker 40
Northern Hogsucker 34
Tessellated Darter 23
Smallmouth Bass 21
Longnose Dace 10
Pumpkinseed 9
Bluegill 7
Spotfin Shiner 7
Blue Ridge Sculpin 6
Spottail Shiner 5
Satinfin Shiner 4
Creek Chub 2
Blacknose Dace 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Rosyside Dace 1
Sea Lamprey 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 20
CHIMARRA Fingernet Caddisfly 16
ANTOCHA Crane Fly 14
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 14
MACCAFFERTIUM March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 11
STENELMIS Beetle 7
TANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 6
ISONYCHIA Slate Drake Mayfly 4
ORTHOCLADIINAE Midge 4
CRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 4
NEOPHYLAX Caddisfly 2
PROSTOMA Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 2
OULIMNIUS Riffle Beetle 2
POTTHASTIA Non-Biting Midges 2
RHEOCRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 2
RHEOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 1
TVETENIA Non-Biting Midges 1
GLOSSOSOMATIDAE Saddlecase Maker Caddisfly 1
ACENTRELLA Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
HEMERODROMIA Tiny Fly 1
GIRARDIA Freshwater Flatworm 1
HYDROPSYCHIDAE Common Netspinner Caddisfly 1
CLINOCERA Aquatic Dance Fly 1
NAIDIDAE Aquatic Worm 1
NANOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 1
PARAPHAENOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 1
ARGIA Narrow-Winged Damselfly 1
HYDROPSYCHE Net-Spinning 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.