MBSS Site Summary for: MATT-033-S-2005


Located on Mattawoman Creek in the Mattawoman Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140111.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/11/2005 and again in the summer on 8/15/2005.

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 - 3.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.1 / 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 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 6/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 54 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 30 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 25.1 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 0.9 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (0.9 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
pH (lab) 6.96
Conductivity 140 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		173.0852 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 6.106 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 9 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 78
Pumpkinseed 17
Bluegill 15
Brown Bullhead 12
Tadpole Madtom 9
Sea Lamprey 7
American Eel 5
Chain Pickerel 3
Eastern Mudminnow 3
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Common Five-Lined Skink
Northern Green 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
Stenelmis Beetle 49
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 12
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 9
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 7
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 4
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 4
Siphlonurus Gray Drake Mayfly 3
Simulium Black Fly 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 2
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 1
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 1
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Perlidae Common Stonefly 1
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Somatochlora 1
Enchytraeidae Aquatic Worm 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 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.