MBSS Site Summary for: NASS-302-S-2008

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site NASS-302-S-2008-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site NASS-302-S-2008-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on NASSAWANGO CREEK in the Nassawango Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02130205.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/10/2008 and again in the summer on 8/5/2008.

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 Poor - 1.9 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 19,606 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 32.7 %
Forested Land Use 61.6 %


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 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 65 %
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 22.6 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 3.4 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (3.4 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
pH (lab) 5.67
Conductivity 77 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		46.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 11.0302 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 15 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Golden Shiner 51
Pirate Perch 49
American Eel 41
Creek Chubsucker 23
Redfin Pickerel 20
Yellow Perch 17
Eastern Mudminnow 9
Brown Bullhead 8
Tadpole Madtom 8
Bluegill 5
Chain Pickerel 5
Margined Madtom 5
Tessellated Darter 4
Yellow Bullhead 4
Pumpkinseed 3
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Common Five-Lined Skink
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Pickerel Frog
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Ceratopogonidae Biting Midge 34
Caecidotea Isopod 32
Enchytraeidae Aquatic Worm 10
Prosimulium Black Fly 6
Crangonyx Amphipod 4
Orthocladiinae Midge 3
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 2
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Stegopterna Black Fly 2
Ormosia Cranefly 1
Simuliidae Black Fly 1
Stygobromus Amphipod 1
Cnephia Black Fly 1
Ephydridae Shore Fly 1
Libellulidae Skimmer Dragonfly 1
Dolichopodidae Long-Legged Fly 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.