MBSS Site Summary for: MATT-320-R-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-320-R-2014-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site MATT-320-R-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 4/24/2014 and again in the summer on 6/25/2014.

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 - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.1 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 10,955 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 25.4 %
Agricultural Land Use 11.1 %
Forested Land Use 52.6 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 3 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 50 %
Embeddedness 85 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 85%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.96
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		292.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 8.0647 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 16 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
American Eel 134
Redbreast Sunfish 110
Bluegill 85
Tessellated Darter 40
Eastern Mudminnow 33
Least Brook Lamprey 22
Pumpkinseed 19
Margined Madtom 15
Yellow Bullhead 9
Creek Chubsucker 8
Chain Pickerel 7
Sea Lamprey 5
Green Sunfish 4
Largemouth Bass 1
Redfin Pickerel 1
Tadpole Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Eastern American Toad
Eastern Cricket Frog
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
Procambarus acutus acutus
Procambarus clarkii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Simulium Black Fly 41
Plauditus Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 27
Pseudochironomus Non-Biting Midge 9
Caecidotea Isopod 8
Perlidae Common Stonefly 6
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 6
Stenelmis Beetle 3
Synurella Amphipod 2
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 2
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 2
Baetidae Small Minnow Mayfly 2
Ancyronyx Spider Riffle Beetle 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 1
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 1
Calopteryx Damselfly 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Perlesta 1
Probezzia Biting Midges 1
Argia Narrow-Winged Damselfly 1
Chironomini Non-Biting Midge 1
Limnophyes Non-Biting Midge 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.