MBSS Site Summary for: PTOB-201-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PTOB-201-X-2017-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PTOB-201-X-2017-MidpointUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Port Tobacco Creek in the Port Tobacco River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140109.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/7/2017 and again in the summer on 6/13/2017.

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 - 4.3 / 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 7,060 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 30.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 12.2 %
Forested Land Use 54.7 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 18/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 66 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 13 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 50 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
No water quality measurements available for this site.

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 19 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Swallowtail Shiner 43
Blacknose Dace 36
Redbreast Sunfish 36
American Eel 23
Eastern Mudminnow 18
Least Brook Lamprey 14
Creek Chub 12
Bluegill 10
Green Sunfish 10
Tessellated Darter 7
Creek Chubsucker 5
White Sucker 5
Eastern Mosquitofish 4
Fallfish 4
Rosyside Dace 2
Sea Lamprey 2
Largemouth Bass 1
Pumpkinseed 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus
Procambarus acutus/zonangulus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
EPHEMERELLA Sulphur Mayfly 66
STROPHOPTERYX Early Brown Stonefly 12
AMPHINEMURA Spring Stonefly 10
STENELMIS Beetle 7
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
OPTIOSERVUS Riffle Beetle 3
PROSIMULIUM Black Fly 3
NEOPHYLAX Caddisfly 3
ISOPERLA Stripetail Stonefly 3
PSEPHENUS Water Penny 2
PERLODIDAE Perlodid Stonefly 2
PISIDIIDAE Pill Clam 1
OULIMNIUS Riffle Beetle 1
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 1
POLYPEDILUM Non-Biting Midges 1
TANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 1
AMELETUS Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
CHIMARRA Fingernet Caddisfly 1
HAPLOPERLA Green Stonefly 1
CLIOPERLA Green-Winged Stonefly 1
OECETIS Long-Horned Caddisfly 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.