MBSS Site Summary for: RKGR-101-R-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site RKGR-101-R-2016_midpoint looking downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site RKGR-101-R-2016_midpoint looking upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on UT Rocky Gorge Reservoir in the Rocky Gorge Dam watershed, 8-digit code: 02131107.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/7/2016 and again in the summer on 6/28/2016.

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 - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 872 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 14.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 37.6 %
Forested Land Use 44.9 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 49 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 26 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 80 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.55
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		644.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.1846 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 12 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 38
Green Sunfish 28
Blacknose Dace 19
White Sucker 17
Longnose Dace 6
Yellow Bullhead 5
Largemouth Bass 3
Tessellated Darter 3
Bluegill 2
Pumpkinseed 2
Rosyside Dace 2
Tiger Muskellunge 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Gray Treefrog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Maiden Grass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 29
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 22
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 16
Prosimulium Black Fly 13
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 9
Neophylax Caddisfly 7
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 3
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 3
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 2
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Glossosoma Little Black Caddisfly 2
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 2
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 1
Stylogomphus Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Isoperla Stripetail 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.