MBSS Site Summary for: SEAS-250-H-2009


Located on Browns Branch in the Southeast Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02130508.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/9/2009 and again in the summer on 6/25/2009.

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 - 3.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.4 / 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 5,954 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 1.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 72.3 %
Forested Land Use 25.3 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 9/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 7/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 6/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 100 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 100%. This is very high, and may adversely affect biotic communities.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 21 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.4 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.03
Conductivity 215 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		489.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 5.687 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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Eastern Mudminnow 38
Green Sunfish 29
Golden Shiner 14
Creek Chubsucker 8
Tessellated Darter 6
White Sucker 6
American Eel 5
Bluegill 3
Fallfish 2
Pumpkinseed 2
Brown Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus
Procambarus

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 26
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 16
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 10
Caecidotea Isopod 8
Hydrobaenus Midge 8
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 7
Neoporus 6
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 5
Centroptilum Small Minnow Mayfly 4
Corixidae Water Boatman 4
Procladius Non-Biting Midge 2
Nanocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Argia Narrow-Winged Damselfly 1
Pisidiidae Pill Clam 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.