MBSS Site Summary for: SIDE-402-R-2015


Located on SIDLING HILL CREEK in the Sideling Hill Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140510.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/30/2015 and again in the summer on 8/7/2015.

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 Fair - 3.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 66,175 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 6.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 17.1 %
Forested Land Use 75.9 %


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 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 58 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 28 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 10 %
Embeddedness 5 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.45
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		225.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.4243 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 23 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Greenside Darter 236
Central Stoneroller 227
Redbreast Sunfish 163
Rainbow Darter 136
Bluntnose Minnow 114
Fallfish 83
Longnose Dace 63
Margined Madtom 49
River Chub 33
Potomac Sculpin 27
Rock Bass 27
Smallmouth Bass 25
Fantail Darter 23
Green Sunfish 18
Northern Hogsucker 12
Common Shiner 11
Largemouth Bass 3
Longear Sunfish 2
Yellow Bullhead 2
Blacknose Dace 1
Creek Chub 1
Spottail Shiner 1
White Sucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Common Five-Lined Skink
Fowler's Toad
Northern Water Snake

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Spiraea
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 48
Simulium Black Fly 11
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 8
Capniidae Small Winter Stonefly 5
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 4
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 3
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 3
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 3
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 3
Stenacron Mayfly 2
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 2
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 2
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 2
Stylogomphus Clubtail Dragonfly 2
Heterocloeon 2
Taenionema 1
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 1
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Clioperla Green-Winged Stonefly 1
Caenis Mayfly 1
Leucrocuta Mayfly 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 1
Ceraclea Scaly-Winged Sedge Caddisfly 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.