MBSS Site Summary for: LOCH-317-R-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LOCH-317-R-2016-midpoint downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LOCH-317-R-2016-midpoint upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Delaware Run in the Loch Raven Reservoir watershed, 8-digit code: 02130805.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/18/2016 and again in the summer on 8/2/2016.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 7,366 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 10.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 44.2 %
Forested Land Use 41.9 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 7/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 4/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 44 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 31 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 20 %
Embeddedness 55 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 55%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 8.27
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		1959.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.8884 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 14 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 195
Brown Trout 67
White Sucker 56
Longnose Dace 48
Blacknose Dace 28
Cutlip Minnow 26
Common Shiner 22
Rosyside Dace 18
Tessellated Darter 9
River Chub 6
Creek Chub 4
Northern Hogsucker 3
Largemouth Bass 2
Rosyface Shiner 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
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
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 23
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 17
Dolophilodes Medium Evening Sedge Caddisfly 9
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 8
Simulium Black Fly 6
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 6
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 6
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 6
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 5
Antocha Crane Fly 5
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 4
Acentrella Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 3
Lumbriculidae Worm 3
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
Empididae Dance Fly 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Stenelmis Beetle 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 1
Diamesa Bloodworm 1
Hydropsychidae Common Netspinner Caddisfly 1
Caecidotea Isopod 1
Elmidae Riffle Beetle 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 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.