MBSS Site Summary for: NANJ-331-S-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site NANJ-331-S-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site NANJ-331-S-2009-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Mill Branch in the Nanjemoy Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140110.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/9/2009 and again in the summer on 7/9/2009.

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 Good - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.4 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 6,272 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 2.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 20.4 %
Forested Land Use 75.4 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 9/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 69 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 15 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 45 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18.7 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 5.7 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.78
Conductivity 58 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		116.1 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.2522 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 13 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Bluegill 53
Blacknose Dace 23
Tessellated Darter 16
Eastern Mudminnow 12
White Sucker 10
Pumpkinseed 8
Creek Chubsucker 7
Yellow Bullhead 7
American Eel 5
Creek Chub 2
Redbreast Sunfish 2
Largemouth Bass 1
Least Brook Lamprey 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Fowler's Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii
Orconectes limosus
Procambarus clarkii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Siphlonurus Gray Drake Mayfly 65
Eurylophella Mayfly 15
Leptophlebia Pronggilled Mayfly 10
Leptoceridae Longhorned Casemaker Caddisfly 7
Caecidotea Isopod 4
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Centroptilum Small Minnow Mayfly 2
Synurella Amphipod 2
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 2
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Pseudolimnophila Crane Fly 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 1
Paracladopelma Non-Biting Midge 1
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Allocapnia Small Winter Stonefly 1
Boyeria Spotted Darner Dragonfly 1
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Physa 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.