MBSS Site Summary for: PRFR-216-R-2004


Located on TUSCARORA CR in the Potomac River FR Cnty watershed, 8-digit code: 02140301.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/1/2004 and again in the summer on 6/9/2004.

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 - 3.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 1.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 2,340 acres Cows standing in a stream at a site with high agricultural land use. Cows survey the sampling procedure at this extreme example of a highly agriculturalized site.
Urban Land Use 19 %
Agricultural Land Use 70 %
Forested Land Use 10 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 7/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 50 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 45 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 54 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 19.4 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.8 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.81
Conductivity 396 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		2552 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.4 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 7 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 57
Bluntnose Minnow 37
Green Sunfish 8
Banded Killifish 7
Fantail Darter 7
Yellow Bullhead 3
Redbreast Sunfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Simulium Black Fly 78
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 34
Gammarus Amphipod 9
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 2
Girardia Freshwater Flatworm 2
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 2
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Lirceus Isopod 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Stenelmis Beetle 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.