MBSS Site Summary for: PISC-115-R-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PISC-115-R-2015_Midpoint-looking-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PISC-115-R-2015_Midpoint-looking-upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on PISCATAWAY CREEK UT in the Piscataway Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140203.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/23/2015 and again in the summer on 7/6/2015.

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 Poor - 1.7 / 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 272 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 33 %
Agricultural Land Use 0 %
Forested Land Use 67 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 6/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 5/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 6/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 18 meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 57 meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Shading 70 %
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:
pH (lab) 6.38
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		170.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.7417 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 4 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 86
Creek Chub 10
American Eel 1
Green Sunfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern American Toad
Eastern Box Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 24
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 16
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 15
Tipula Crane Fly 12
Neophylax Caddisfly 10
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 10
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 7
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 7
Siphlonurus Gray Drake Mayfly 5
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 3
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 3
Neoporous Predaceous Diving Beetle 3
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Caecidotea Isopod 1
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Chironomus Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Anafroptilum Small Minnow Mayfly 1
Isotomidae Springtail 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.