MBSS Site Summary for: RKGR-255-T-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site RKGR-255-T-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site RKGR-255-T-2007-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Hawlings River in the Rocky Gorge Dam watershed, 8-digit code: 02131107.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/17/2007 and again in the summer on 8/24/2007.

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 - 3.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 10,204 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 4 %
Agricultural Land Use 67.6 %
Forested Land Use 27.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 6/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 4/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 73 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 2 meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Shading 55 %
Embeddedness 65 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 65%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 19.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 6.7 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.06
Conductivity 116 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		390.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.7794 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 10 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
White Sucker 40
Tessellated Darter 23
Fallfish 20
Largemouth Bass 13
Bluegill 7
Green Sunfish 7
Creek Chub 3
Northern Hogsucker 2
Cutlip Minnow 1
Pumpkinseed 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Red Salamander
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Canada Thistle
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Simulium Black Fly 16
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 16
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 11
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 10
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 6
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 5
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 4
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 3
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 3
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 3
Hydrobaenus Midge 3
Acentrella Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 3
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 3
Tribelos Non-Biting Midges 2
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Nilotanypus 2
Menetus Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Bezzia Biting Midge 1
Ephemera Mayfly 1
Serratella Mayfly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Ormosia Cranefly 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Natarsia Non-Biting Midges 1
Potthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 1
Centroptilum Small Minnow Mayfly 1
Diptera True Fly 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.