MBSS Site Summary for: ROCK-105-R-2003

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site ROCK-105-R-2003-758 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site ROCK-105-R-2003-759 (Opens in a new window)

Located on NORTH BR ROCK CR in the Rock Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140206.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/2/2003 and again in the summer on 6/16/2003.

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 - 2.3 / 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 578 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 7 %
Agricultural Land Use 61 %
Forested Land Use 30 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 16/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 58 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 22 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 97 %
Embeddedness 22 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 16.3 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.6 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.02
Conductivity 125 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		305.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 4 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 5 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 44
Rosyside Dace 17
Creek Chub 6
White Sucker 4
Tessellated Darter 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Ring-Necked Snake
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog
Spotted Salamander
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 103
Stegopterna Black Fly 6
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 6
Simuliidae Black Fly 5
Neophylax Caddisfly 4
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 3
Stenelmis Beetle 3
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 3
Hydrobaenus Midge 2
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 1
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 1
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 1
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 1
Spirosperma Aquatic Oligochaete Worm 1
Clioperla Green-Winged 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.