MBSS Site Summary for: LSUS-292-E-2004


Located on MILL CR CHESAPEAKE BAY in the L Susquehanna River watershed, 8-digit code: 02120201.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/27/2004 and again in the summer on 8/23/2004.

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 2,278 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 11 %
Agricultural Land Use 32 %
Forested Land Use 55 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 17/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 18/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 34 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 49 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 10 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.7 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.31
Conductivity 175 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		228.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 4.6 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 12 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Rosyside Dace 137
Blacknose Dace 129
American Eel 46
Blue Ridge Sculpin 40
Cutlip Minnow 27
Creek Chub 24
Common Shiner 15
Green Sunfish 9
White Sucker 5
Tessellated Darter 4
Brown Trout 1
Pumpkinseed 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Eastern Box Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Dolophilodes Medium Evening Sedge Caddisfly 33
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 26
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 22
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 7
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 7
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 6
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 5
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 5
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Baetis Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 1
Perlidae Common Stonefly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Empididae Dance Fly 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 1
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 1
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 1
Acentrella Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 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.