MBSS Site Summary for: PG-N-155-201-97


Located on PISCATAWAY CR in the Piscataway Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140203.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/18/1997 and again in the summer on 7/8/1997.

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 - 4.4 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 9,903 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 19 %
Agricultural Land Use 23.3 %
Forested Land Use 47.3 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 17/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 6/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 35 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 21 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 6.7 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.92
Conductivity 121 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		320.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.8 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 20 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Swallowtail Shiner 118
Tessellated Darter 73
Satinfin Shiner 58
American Eel 39
Redbreast Sunfish 20
Eastern Mudminnow 19
Cutlip Minnow 14
Fallfish 13
Margined Madtom 13
Creek Chubsucker 9
Chain Pickerel 5
Common Shiner 5
White Sucker 5
Pumpkinseed 3
Yellow Bullhead 3
Blacknose Dace 2
Brown Bullhead 2
Bluegill 1
Least Brook Lamprey 1
Rosyside Dace 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern American Toad
Eastern Box Turtle
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 26
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 5
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 5
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 5
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 5
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Orthocladiinae A Non-Biting Midges 4
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 3
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 3
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 3
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Oecetis Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Sphaerium Fingernail Clam 1
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Simuliidae Black Fly 1
Ancyronyx Spider Riffle Beetle 1
Hemerodromia Tiny 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.