MBSS Site Summary for: PISC-104-B-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PISC-104-B-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PISC-104-B-2007-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Piscataway Creek UT5 in the Piscataway Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140203.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/3/2007 and again in the summer on 7/11/2007.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 850 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 17.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 20.1 %
Forested Land Use 61.2 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 10/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 60 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 18 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 50 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 24.4 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 6.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.75
Conductivity 226 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		151.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.4549 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
Blacknose Dace 133
Creek Chub 36
Green Sunfish 22
Rosyside Dace 17
Tessellated Darter 14
American Eel 11
White Sucker 10
Redbreast Sunfish 9
Creek Chubsucker 4
Eastern Mudminnow 3
Pumpkinseed 3
Margined Madtom 1
Sea Lamprey 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Gray Treefrog
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 48
Hydrobaenus Midge 32
Naididae Aquatic Worm 5
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 5
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 4
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 4
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Simulium Black Fly 2
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 2
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 2
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 2
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 2
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 2
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Cryptochironomus Non-Biting Midges 1
Stygobromus Amphipod 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.