MBSS Site Summary for: QA-N-007-217-95


Located on UNICORN BRANCH in the Upper Chester River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130510.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/30/1995 and again in the summer on 7/31/1995.

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 - 3.3 / 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 10,677 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 1.3 %
Agricultural Land Use 60 %
Forested Land Use 38 %


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 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 75 %
Embeddedness 10 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 20 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 6.7 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.65
Conductivity 147 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		304.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 5 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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 35
Eastern Mudminnow 9
Chain Pickerel 5
Least Brook Lamprey 4
Pirate Perch 4
Bluegill 3
Green Sunfish 2
Pumpkinseed 2
American Eel 1
Creek Chubsucker 1
Margined Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 43
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 11
Haploperla Green Stonefly 8
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 5
Gammarus Amphipod 5
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 5
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Labrundinia Non-Biting Midges 2
Brachycentrus Humpless Casemaker Caddisfly 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Antocha Crane Fly 2
Boyeria Spotted Darner Dragonfly 2
Lype Net Tube Caddisfly 2
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 1
Sphaerium Fingernail Clam 1
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Tabanidae Horse Fly 1
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
Xylotopus Midge 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Optioservus Riffle 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.