MBSS Site Summary for: MATT-033-S-2006


Located on Mattawoman Creek in the Mattawoman Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140111.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/15/2006 and again in the summer on 8/22/2006.

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 Poor - 2.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.7 / 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 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 67 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 20.8 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 3.8 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (3.8 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
pH (lab) 7.07
Conductivity 134 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		194.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 4.4803 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 8 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 55
Pumpkinseed 18
Bluegill 13
Eastern Mosquitofish 10
Tadpole Madtom 3
Eastern Mudminnow 2
American Eel 1
Brown Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Common Five-Lined Skink
Eastern Cricket Frog
Eastern Painted Turtle
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Gray Treefrog

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
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 28
Stenelmis Beetle 24
Prosimulium Black Fly 13
Hydrobaenus Midge 8
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 5
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 4
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 4
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 3
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 2
Eurylophella Mayfly 2
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 2
Perlidae Common Stonefly 2
Siphlonurus Gray Drake Mayfly 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Potthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Clioperla Green-Winged Stonefly 1
Caenis Mayfly 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Basiaeschna 1
Menetus Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 1
Baetidae Small Minnow Mayfly 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 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.