MBSS Site Summary for: QA-N-098-302-96


Located on MASON BR in the Tuckahoe Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02130405.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/11/1996 and again in the summer on 9/10/1996.

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 - 5.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.1 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 21,790 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 0.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 57.7 %
Forested Land Use 41.5 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 9/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 15 %
Embeddedness 25 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 22.5 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 12.2 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.44
Conductivity 165 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		216.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 7.1 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 16 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Swallowtail Shiner 273
Eastern Mudminnow 122
Tessellated Darter 111
Creek Chubsucker 89
Redbreast Sunfish 82
Tadpole Madtom 56
American Eel 36
Bluegill 30
Fallfish 25
Pumpkinseed 24
Redfin Pickerel 20
Least Brook Lamprey 18
Golden Shiner 16
Margined Madtom 13
Pirate Perch 8
Largemouth Bass 3
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
Prosimulium Black Fly 24
Lumbriculidae Worm 16
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 14
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 6
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Girardia Freshwater Flatworm 4
Stegopterna Black Fly 4
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 3
Stenelmis Beetle 2
Sphaerium Fingernail Clam 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 2
Planorbella 2
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Uenoidae Uenoid Case Maker Caddisfly 1
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Pisidium Freshwater Pea (Pill) Clam 1
Serratella Mayfly 1
Neophylax 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.