MBSS Site Summary for: MATT-220-R-2015


Located on MATTAWOMAN CREEK in the Mattawoman Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140111.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/8/2015 and again in the summer on 8/18/2015.

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 28,039 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 34.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 8.6 %
Forested Land Use 49.6 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat

Instream Habitat 9/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 7/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 69 meters
11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters
0/20 (Poor)
Shading 40 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:

pH (lab) 7.05
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
359.1 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 6.7399 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 14 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Bluegill 36
Brown Bullhead 12
Chain Pickerel 6
Eastern Mosquitofish 6
Tessellated Darter 6
Pumpkinseed 5
Sea Lamprey 5
American Eel 4
Yellow Bullhead 4
Eastern Mudminnow 2
Redbreast Sunfish 1
Spottail Shiner 1
Tadpole Madtom 1
White Sucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

American Bullfrog
Eastern Box Turtle
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:

Cambarus diogenes
Procambarus
Procambarus clarkii

Exotic Plants:

Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Chironomini Non-Biting Midge 13
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 8
Caecidotea Isopod 8
Hyalella Amphipod 7
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 7
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 6
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 5
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 5
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 4
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 4
Ceratopogonidae Biting Midge 4
Stenelmis Beetle 3
Siphlonurus Gray Drake Mayfly 3
Eurylophella Mayfly 3
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 3
Neoporous Predaceous Diving Beetle 3
Pisidiidae Pill Clam 2
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Bezzia Biting Midge 2
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
Crangonyx Amphipod 2
Synurella Amphipod 2
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Ormosia Cranefly 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Sciomyzidae Marsh Fly 1
Nanocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydrobiidae Pebble Snail 1
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 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.