MBSS Site Summary for: MATT-216-R-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-216-R-2014-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-216-R-2014-MidpointUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on PINEY BRANCH in the Mattawoman Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140111.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/21/2014 and again in the summer on 7/29/2014.

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 Good - 4.0 / 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 4,859 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 66 %
Agricultural Land Use 2.3 %
Forested Land Use 27.7 %


Stream showing woody debris, logs, and rocky substrate.
An example of woody debris in a stream.

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 17/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 69 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 9 meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Shading 10 %
Embeddedness 55 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 55%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.43
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		330.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.952 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
Eastern Mosquitofish 652
Bluegill 387
American Eel 173
Redbreast Sunfish 106
Pumpkinseed 67
Green Sunfish 55
Creek Chubsucker 24
Tessellated Darter 22
Yellow Bullhead 15
Sea Lamprey 13
White Sucker 13
Largemouth Bass 11
Lepomis Hybrid 11
Chain Pickerel 10
Eastern Mudminnow 9
Black Crappie 3
Brown Bullhead 3
Least Brook Lamprey 3
Creek Chub 2
Northern Snakehead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Box Turtle
Eastern Painted Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
Cambaridae
Procambarus clarkii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 18
Neoporous Predaceous Diving Beetle 12
Caenis Mayfly 9
Hyalella Amphipod 7
Peltodytes Crawling Water Beetle 7
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 7
Menetus Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 5
Coenagrionidae Narrowwinged Damselfly 5
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 4
Potthastia Non-Biting Midges 4
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 3
Hydrobaenus Midge 3
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 3
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Pseudochironomus Non-Biting Midge 2
Parakiefferiella European Non-Biting Midge 2
Baetidae Small Minnow Mayfly 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Tribelos Non-Biting Midges 1
Ancyronyx Spider Riffle Beetle 1
Plauditus Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Microcylloepus Riffle Beetle 1
Siphlonurus Gray Drake Mayfly 1
Caecidotea Isopod 1
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Crangonyx Amphipod 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Fossaria Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 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.