MBSS Site Summary for: NANJ-115-A-2011

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site NANJ-115-A-2011-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site NANJ-115-A-2011-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on NANJEMOY CREEK UT in the Nanjemoy Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140110.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/9/2011 and again in the summer on 6/21/2011.

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 - 4.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 873 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 7 %
Agricultural Land Use 1.3 %
Forested Land Use 79 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 5/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 9/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 80 %
Embeddedness 80 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 80%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 5.955
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		39.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 6.0296 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 12 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chubsucker 60
Rosyside Dace 36
Redbreast Sunfish 20
Tessellated Darter 18
Creek Chub 11
Golden Shiner 11
Eastern Mudminnow 6
American Eel 4
Pumpkinseed 4
Blacknose Dace 3
Least Brook Lamprey 3
Chain Pickerel 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Red Spotted Newt
Eastern Red-Backed Salamander
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Unniella Non-Biting Midge 30
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 9
Synurella Amphipod 9
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 8
Caecidotea Isopod 7
Procladius Non-Biting Midge 5
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 4
Leptophlebia Pronggilled Mayfly 4
Tribelos Non-Biting Midges 3
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 2
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 2
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Eurylophella Mayfly 2
GOMPHIDAE Clubtail Dragonfly 2
Ptilostomis Giant Casemaker Caddisfly 2
Sialis Alderfly 2
Crangonyx Amphipod 2
TUBIFICIDAE Aquatic Worm 1
Chauliodes 1
Dytiscus 1
Perlinella 1
Stempellina 1
Pycnopsyche Great Autumn Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
Hexatoma Crane Fly 1
Calopteryx Damselfly 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
LEPTOPHLEBIIDAE Pronggilled Mayfly 1
Centroptilum Small Minnow Mayfly 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
Laccophilus Water Beetle 1
CORIXIDAE Water Boatman 1
Psephenus Water Penny 1
Neoporous Predaceous Diving Beetle 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.