MBSS Site Summary for: SIDE-401-H-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SIDE-401-H-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SIDE-401-H-2007-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Sideling Hill Creek in the Sideling Hill Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140510.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/4/2007 and again in the summer on 7/23/2007.

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 Good - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 65,818 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 6.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 17.4 %
Forested Land Use 76 %


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 18/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 18 meters 		10/20 (Marginal)
Shading 25 %
Embeddedness 15 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18.1 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 6.9 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.66
Conductivity 161 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		243.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.6683 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 20 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Central Stoneroller 244
Rainbow Darter 158
Longnose Dace 96
River Chub 93
Greenside Darter 64
Smallmouth Bass 60
Fallfish 58
Redbreast Sunfish 48
Spotfin Shiner 24
Northern Hogsucker 17
Rock Bass 14
Margined Madtom 10
Green Sunfish 8
Common Shiner 7
Fantail Darter 3
Rosyface Shiner 3
Longear Sunfish 2
Potomac Sculpin 1
Tessellated Darter 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Eastern Box Turtle
Northern Dusky Salamander
Northern Watersnake

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Stenelmis Beetle 11
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 11
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 9
Serratella Mayfly 9
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 8
Drunella Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 7
Philopotamidae Fingernet Caddisfly 6
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 6
Leucrocuta Mayfly 5
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 5
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 4
Perlidae Common Stonefly 4
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 3
Prosimulium Black Fly 3
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 2
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 2
Caenis Mayfly 2
Simulium Black Fly 2
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 2
Corydalus Dobsonfly 2
Psephenus Water Penny 2
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 2
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 1
Microcylloepus Riffle Beetle 1
Ectopria Water Penny Beetle 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Acentrella Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Capniidae Small Winter Stonefly 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Gomphidae Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 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.