MBSS Site Summary for: SENE-101-R-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SENE-101-R-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SENE-101-R-2009-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on UT Seneca Creek in the Seneca Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140208.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/13/2009 and again in the summer on 7/1/2009.

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 Good - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.8 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 413 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 1.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 84.2 %
Forested Land Use 14.3 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 10/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 8/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 63 meters 		10/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 17 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 45 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17.3 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.8 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.02
Conductivity 96 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		254.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.5987 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 214
Potomac Sculpin 94
Fantail Darter 20
Rosyside Dace 18
Blue Ridge Sculpin 10
Green Sunfish 5
Creek Chub 3
Longnose Dace 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 20
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 15
Diphetor Mayfly 9
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 8
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 8
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 8
Thienemannimyia Non-Biting Midges 7
Paraleptophlebia Blue Quill Mayfly 7
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 6
Dolophilodes Medium Evening Sedge Caddisfly 6
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 6
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 5
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 4
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 4
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 4
Eurylophella Mayfly 3
Stenelmis Beetle 3
Stempellina 2
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 2
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 2
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
Eccoptura Yellow Stone Stonefly 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Bezzia Biting Midge 1
Hexatoma Crane Fly 1
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Anchytarsus Beetle 1
Ceratopsyche 1
Dixa 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.