MBSS Site Summary for: NANJ-301-R-2015


Located on MILL RUN in the Nanjemoy Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140110.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/12/2015 and again in the summer on 8/19/2015.

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 Good - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 5.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 6,320 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 8.3 %
Agricultural Land Use 11.5 %
Forested Land Use 76.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat

Instream Habitat 8/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 5/20 (Poor)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 71 meters
9/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters
0/20 (Poor)
Shading 30 %
Embeddedness 95 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 95%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:

pH (lab) 6.3
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
61.1 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.5852 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 17 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Eastern Mudminnow 170
Tessellated Darter 80
Sea Lamprey 55
White Sucker 51
Creek Chub 29
Brown Bullhead 23
Largemouth Bass 20
Green Sunfish 16
American Eel 12
Creek Chubsucker 10
Bluegill 8
Least Brook Lamprey 8
Lepomis Hybrid 2
Pumpkinseed 2
Redbreast Sunfish 1
Rosyside Dace 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

Fowler's Toad
Northern Spring Peeper

Crayfish:

Orconectes limosus
Procambarus clarkii

Exotic Plants:

Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Siphlonurus Gray Drake Mayfly 24
Leptophlebia Pronggilled Mayfly 14
Eurylophella Mayfly 9
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 7
Anafroptilum Small Minnow Mayfly 7
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 6
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 3
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 3
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 3
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 3
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 3
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 3
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 2
Paramerina Non-Biting Midge 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 2
Crangonyx Amphipod 2
Synurella Amphipod 2
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Ceratopogonidae Biting Midge 1
Prosimulium Black Fly 1
Tipulidae Cranefly 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Parakiefferiella European Non-Biting Midge 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Stenacron Mayfly 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Caecidotea Isopod 1
Leptoceridae Longhorned Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Dolichopodidae Long-Legged Fly 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Procladius Non-Biting Midge 1
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 1
Corixidae Water Boatman 1
Dytiscidae Predaceous Diving Beetle 1
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 1
Menetus Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 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.