MBSS Site Summary for: MATT-033-S-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-033-S-2014-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-033-S-2014-MidpointUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on MATTAWOMAN CREEK in the Mattawoman Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140111.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/23/2014 and again in the summer on 7/31/2014.

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 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 highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 29.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 8.4 %
Forested Land Use 56.3 %


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 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 9/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 75 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 75%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.13
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		254.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 6.3986 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 20 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Bluegill 313
Tessellated Darter 87
Eastern Mudminnow 75
Pumpkinseed 49
Green Sunfish 29
Chain Pickerel 25
American Eel 20
Eastern Mosquitofish 15
Largemouth Bass 11
Creek Chubsucker 9
Yellow Bullhead 8
White Sucker 5
Brown Bullhead 4
Redbreast Sunfish 4
Black Crappie 3
Lepomis Hybrid 3
Redfin Pickerel 3
Tadpole Madtom 2
Least Brook Lamprey 1
Sea Lamprey 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern American Toad
Eastern Cricket Frog
Eastern Painted Turtle
Eastern Ratsnake
Fowler's Toad
Northern Green Frog
Southern Leopard Frog
Stinkpot

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus
Procambarus clarkii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 47
Plauditus Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 28
Attenella 9
Simulium Black Fly 9
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 8
Stenelmis Beetle 2
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 1
Protoptila 1
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 1
Perlidae Common Stonefly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
Haploperla Green Stonefly 1
Caecidotea Isopod 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 1
Leuctridae Rolledwinged Stonefly 1
Ceraclea Scaly-Winged Sedge Caddisfly 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.