MBSS Site Summary for: QA-N-098-309-96


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 - 4.7 / 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 23,268 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 18/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 20 %
Embeddedness 35 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 24.8 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 13.8 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.47
Conductivity 170 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		224.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 6.9 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 170
Eastern Mudminnow 99
Redbreast Sunfish 98
Creek Chubsucker 74
Tadpole Madtom 59
Tessellated Darter 53
Bluegill 33
Fallfish 25
American Eel 24
Pirate Perch 20
Pumpkinseed 20
Redfin Pickerel 19
Margined Madtom 11
Least Brook Lamprey 7
Golden Shiner 5
Rosyside Dace 2
Largemouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Northern Spring Peeper
Stinkpot

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
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 10
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 8
Sphaerium Fingernail Clam 6
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 6
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 5
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Stenelmis Beetle 3
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 2
Stegopterna Black Fly 2
Pisidium Freshwater Pea (Pill) Clam 2
Hirudinea Leech 2
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Potthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Peltodytes Crawling Water Beetle 1
Girardia Freshwater Flatworm 1
Pseudosuccinea Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 1
Baetidae Small Minnow Mayfly 1
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 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.