MBSS Site Summary for: MATT-033-S-2008


Located on MATTAWOMAN CREEK in the Mattawoman Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140111.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/12/2008 and again in the summer on 7/28/2008.

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 - 4.4 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 40,503 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 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 8 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 80 %
Embeddedness 35 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 22.7 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 5.9 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.75
Conductivity 107 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		146.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 4.9571 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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 105
Eastern Mudminnow 55
Bluegill 42
American Eel 23
Pumpkinseed 21
Brown Bullhead 5
Green Sunfish 5
Chain Pickerel 4
Largemouth Bass 2
Tadpole Madtom 2
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Fowler's Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus
Procambarus clarkii

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 17
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 16
Lumbriculidae Worm 13
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 12
Hydrobaenus Midge 9
Siphlonurus Gray Drake Mayfly 8
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 6
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 5
Prosimulium Black Fly 5
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Natarsia Non-Biting Midges 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Tipulidae Cranefly 1
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 1
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Crangonyx Amphipod 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Taeniopteryx Winter 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.