MBSS Site Summary for: PTOB-103-X-2005


Located on Port Tobacco Creek UT1 in the Port Tobacco River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140109.
This stream was visited in the spring on 7/5/2005 and again in the summer on 7/5/2005.

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 N R
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.1 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 363 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 52 %
Agricultural Land Use 17 %
Forested Land Use 30 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 7/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 4/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 5/20 (Poor)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 69 meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 6 meters 		1/20 (Poor)
Shading 92 %
Embeddedness 90 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 90%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Poor' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 20.5 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 4.8 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (4.8 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
Conductivity 352 µmho/cm

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:
Fish data is unavailable or no fish observed.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 35
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 30
Chironomus Non-Biting Midges 7
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Musculium Fingernail Clam 5
Stenelmis Beetle 3
Hydropsychidae Common Netspinner Caddisfly 3
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 3
Naididae Aquatic Worm 2
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 2
Lymnaeidae Pond Snail 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 1
Pseudosuccinea Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Synurella Amphipod 1
Calopteryx Damselfly 1
Argia Narrow-Winged Damselfly 1
Chironomini Non-Biting Midge 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 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.