MBSS Site Summary for: MILE-121-T-2005


Located on Goldsborough Creek in the Miles River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130502.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/22/2005 and again in the summer on 5/6/2009.

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 Fair - 3.9 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 326 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 8 %
Agricultural Land Use 83 %
Forested Land Use 8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 6/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 7/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 9/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 61 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 14 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 95 %
Embeddedness 100 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 100%. This is very high, and may adversely affect biotic communities.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.75
Conductivity 241 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		158.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.9049 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 3 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Eastern Mudminnow 49
Least Brook Lamprey 30
American Eel 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Green 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
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 12
Stegopterna Black Fly 9
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 7
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 6
Simulium Black Fly 6
Nanocladius Non-Biting Midges 4
Tipulidae Cranefly 4
Lype Net Tube Caddisfly 4
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 4
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 4
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 3
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 3
Limnodrilus Worm 3
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 2
Natarsia Non-Biting Midges 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Probezzia Biting Midges 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Calopteryx Damselfly 1
Tabanidae Horse Fly 1
Glyptotendipes 1
Saetheria 1
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Anchytarsus Beetle 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Boyeria Spotted Darner Dragonfly 1
Collembola Springtail 1
Leptophlebia Pronggilled Mayfly 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Pseudorthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Brillia 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.