MBSS Site Summary for: SENE-317-R-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SENE-317-R-2017-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SENE-317-R-2017-MidpointUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Little Seneca Creek in the Seneca Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140208.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/6/2017 and again in the summer on 7/13/2017.

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 - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 18,422 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 36.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 22.9 %
Forested Land Use 35.4 %


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 9/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 64 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 21 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 45 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.67
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		804.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.5145 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 17 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 526
Blue Ridge Sculpin 258
Potomac Sculpin 256
White Sucker 164
Fantail Darter 131
Rosyside Dace 57
Common Shiner 25
Creek Chub 23
Bluntnose Minnow 18
Longnose Dace 14
Tessellated Darter 14
Greenside Darter 7
Central Stoneroller 6
Northern Hogsucker 6
American Eel 4
Silverjaw Minnow 4
Spotfin Shiner 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Dusky Salamander
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes obscurus
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Tree Of Heaven
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
RHEOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 33
RHEOCRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 20
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 14
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 14
EUKIEFFERIELLA Non-Biting Midges 6
ORTHOCLADIINAE Midge 4
MACCAFFERTIUM March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
CRANGONYX Amphipod 2
DUBIRAPHIA Riffle Beetle 2
EPHEMERELLA Sulphur Mayfly 2
TAENIOPTERYX Winter Stonefly 1
FERRISSIA Small Air-Breathing Freshwater Limpets 1
CLINOCERA Aquatic Dance Fly 1
ANTOCHA Crane Fly 1
HEPTAGENIIDAE Flathead Mayfly 1
HELISOMA 1
NEMOURIDAE Nemourid Stonefly 1
PARAMETRIOCNEMUS Non-Biting Midges 1
POLYPEDILUM Non-Biting Midges 1
HYDROPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
TANYTARSINI Non-Biting Midges 1
THIENEMANNIELLA Non-Biting Midges 1
THIENEMANNIMYIA GROUP 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.