MBSS Site Summary for: MATT-033-S-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-033-S-2017-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-033-S-2017-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 3/6/2017 and again in the summer on 9/11/2017.

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 - 3.3 / 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 40,503 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 18/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 63 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 16 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 75 %
Embeddedness 55 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 55%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.21
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		301.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 5.0073 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 15 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 55
Pumpkinseed 51
Bluegill 33
Brown Bullhead 26
American Eel 14
Chain Pickerel 14
Yellow Bullhead 5
Warmouth 4
Eastern Mudminnow 2
Green Sunfish 2
Creek Chubsucker 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Redfin Pickerel 1
Tadpole Madtom 1
White Sucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus
Procambarus clarkii
Procambarus sp.

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 78
STROPHOPTERYX Early Brown Stonefly 18
AMPHINEMURA Spring Stonefly 6
EUKIEFFERIELLA Non-Biting Midges 3
STENELMIS Beetle 2
RHYACOPHILA Free-Living Caddisfly 2
DICROTENDIPES Non-Biting Midges 1
ISOPERLA Stripetail Stonefly 1
AGAPETUS Tiny Black Short-Horned Caddisfly 1
TAENIOPTERYX Winter Stonefly 1
CAMPELOMA 1
NEOPHYLAX Caddisfly 1
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 1
PARAMETRIOCNEMUS Non-Biting Midges 1
RHEOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 1
TVETENIA Non-Biting Midges 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.