MBSS Site Summary for: QA-N-098-308-96


Located on MASON BR in the Tuckahoe Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02130405.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/13/1996 and again in the summer on 9/9/1996.

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 - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 24,341 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 57.1 %
Forested Land Use 42.1 %


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 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 30 %
Embeddedness 40 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 22.1 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 10 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.42
Conductivity 162 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		193.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 6.2 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 17 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Swallowtail Shiner 139
Redbreast Sunfish 73
Creek Chubsucker 72
Tessellated Darter 56
American Eel 33
Tadpole Madtom 33
Bluegill 30
Margined Madtom 22
Golden Shiner 20
Pumpkinseed 19
Eastern Mudminnow 15
Fallfish 13
Rosyside Dace 6
Pirate Perch 3
Redfin Pickerel 3
Largemouth Bass 2
Least Brook Lamprey 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Painted Turtle
Rough Greensnake

Crayfish:
Procambarus acutus acutus

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 51
Prosimulium Black Fly 10
Lumbriculidae Worm 8
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 6
Goniobasis 4
Stegopterna Black Fly 2
Perlidae Common Stonefly 2
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 2
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 2
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Pisidium Freshwater Pea (Pill) Clam 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 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.