MBSS Site Summary for: MATT-033-S-2003

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-033-S-2003-692 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-033-S-2003-693 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-033-S-2003-694 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-033-S-2003-695 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-033-S-2003-696 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-033-S-2003-699 (Opens in a new window)

Located on MATTAWOMAN CR in the Mattawoman Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140111.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/1/2003 and again in the summer on 7/17/2003.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 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 40,511 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 17.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 18.4 %
Forested Land Use 62.4 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat

Instream Habitat 18/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 68 meters
19/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 21 meters
14/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 5 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:

Water temperature 22.7 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 6.7 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.46
Conductivity 111 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
77.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.7 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
Spottail Shiner 84
Tessellated Darter 69
Eastern Mudminnow 67
Largemouth Bass 51
Pumpkinseed 41
Bluegill 31
American Eel 20
Brown Bullhead 13
Chain Pickerel 6
Green Sunfish 2
Tadpole Madtom 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

American Bullfrog
Common Five-Lined Skink
Eastern American Toad
Eastern Box Turtle
Eastern Cricket Frog
Eastern Gartersnake
Eastern Painted Turtle
Eastern Ratsnake
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Fowler's Toad
Marbled Salamander
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Pickerel Frog
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:

No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:

Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 72
Stenelmis Beetle 11
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 6
Clioperla Green-Winged Stonefly 4
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 4
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 3
Caecidotea Isopod 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 2
Oemopteryx Stonefly 1
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 1
Capniidae Small Winter Stonefly 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Ormosia Cranefly 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.