MBSS Site Summary for: MICR-110-R-2003

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site MICR-110-R-2003-0963 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site MICR-110-R-2003-0964 (Opens in a new window)

Located on RADCLIFFE CR UT2 in the Middle Chester River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130509.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/1/2003 and again in the summer on 6/17/2003.

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 Poor - 1.9 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 604 acres Cows standing in a stream at a site with high agricultural land use. Cows survey the sampling procedure at this extreme example of a highly agriculturalized site.
Urban Land Use 5 %
Agricultural Land Use 92 %
Forested Land Use 1 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 66 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 9 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 15.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 5.4 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.54
Conductivity 175 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		524.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.3 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 10 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Bluegill 19
Eastern Mudminnow 15
Green Sunfish 6
Golden Shiner 5
Tessellated Darter 5
American Eel 3
Creek Chubsucker 3
Pumpkinseed 3
Brown Bullhead 2
Largemouth Bass 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Fowler's Toad
Northern Watersnake
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 60
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 17
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 5
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 5
Gammarus Amphipod 4
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 3
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Amphipoda Scud 3
Pisidiidae Pill Clam 2
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Corixidae Water Boatman 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Ceratopogonidae Biting Midge 1
Caecidotea Isopod 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.