MBSS Site Summary for: LWIN-306-A-2011

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LWIN-306-A-2011-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LWIN-306-A-2011-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on OTTER POINT CREEK in the Lower Winters Run watershed, 8-digit code: 02130702.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/2/2011 and again in the summer on 7/14/2011.

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 - 3.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 36,584 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 32.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 27.9 %
Forested Land Use 37.7 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 18 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 75 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 80 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 80%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.54
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		544.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.4834 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 32 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
American Eel 179
Tessellated Darter 116
White Sucker 61
Redbreast Sunfish 54
Sea Lamprey 52
Swallowtail Shiner 35
Spottail Shiner 33
Eastern Silvery Minnow 32
Pumpkinseed 30
Bluntnose Minnow 26
Satinfin Shiner 18
Creek Chub 17
Spotfin Shiner 13
Fallfish 10
Brown Bullhead 8
Green Sunfish 7
Largemouth Bass 6
River Chub 6
White Perch 6
Blacknose Dace 5
Longnose Dace 5
Smallmouth Bass 4
Common Shiner 3
Margined Madtom 3
Bluegill 2
Blue Ridge Sculpin 1
Cutlip Minnow 1
Eastern Mudminnow 1
Fathead Minnow 1
Lepomis Hybrid 1
Northern Hogsucker 1
Rosyface Shiner 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Fowler's Toad
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus
Orconectes virilis

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

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 86
TUBIFICIDAE Aquatic Worm 6
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 2
Chironomini Non-Biting Midge 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
CAPNIIDAE Small Winter Stonefly 1
DIPTERA True Fly 1
NEMOURIDAE Nemourid Stonefly 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 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.