MBSS Site Summary for: LSUS-101-X-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LSUS-101-X-2014-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LSUS-101-X-2014-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on MILL CREEK in the L Susquehanna River watershed, 8-digit code: 02120201.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/10/2014 and again in the summer on 7/23/2014.

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 Poor - 2.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,757 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 26.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 16 %
Forested Land Use 47.4 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 19 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 70 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 50 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.31
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		299.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.4502 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
Blacknose Dace 173
Blue Ridge Sculpin 161
Rosyside Dace 81
American Eel 42
Creek Chub 35
Cutlip Minnow 7
Common Shiner 5
Tessellated Darter 3
Green Sunfish 2
White Sucker 2
Plecostomus 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Daylily
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Knotweed
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Norway Maple
Oriental Bittersweet
Tree Of Heaven
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 46
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 19
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 11
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 6
Orthocladiinae Midge 6
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Stilocladius Midge 3
Diamesa Bloodworm 3
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 3
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 2
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 2
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 2
Diamesinae Non-Biting Midges 2
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Perlidae Common Stonefly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Hexatoma Crane Fly 1
Empididae Dance Fly 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 1
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 1
Psephenus Water Penny 1
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheotanytarsus 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.