MBSS Site Summary for: RKGR-107-R-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site RKGR-107-R-2016_midpoint looking downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site RKGR-107-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 Poor - 2.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 848 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 35.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 23.2 %
Forested Land Use 37.4 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 8/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 9/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 42 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 33 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Shading 60 %
Embeddedness 55 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 55%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.09
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		373.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.7877 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 8 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 46
Longnose Dace 30
Rosyside Dace 16
Blue Ridge Sculpin 9
Creek Chub 9
Largemouth Bass 5
White Sucker 4
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Privet
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 20
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 16
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 14
Glossosoma Little Black Caddisfly 8
Prosimulium Black Fly 8
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 7
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 5
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 5
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 4
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 3
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 3
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 3
Bezzia Biting Midge 2
Diphetor Mayfly 2
Antocha Crane Fly 2
Tipula Crane Fly 2
Simulium Black Fly 2
Diamesa Bloodworm 2
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 2
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 2
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 1
Hexatoma Crane Fly 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 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.