MBSS Site Summary for: SIDE-405-R-2001

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SIDE-405-R-2001-1 (Opens in a new window)

Located on SIDELING HILL CR in the Sideling Hill Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140510.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/26/2001 and again in the summer on 7/30/2001.

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 - 3.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 60,029 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 6 %
Agricultural Land Use 19 %
Forested Land Use 75 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 19/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 19/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 48 meters 		20/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 30 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 40 %
Embeddedness 20 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 20 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.8 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.98
Conductivity 390 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		157.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.5 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
Central Stoneroller 183
River Chub 120
Bluntnose Minnow 67
Rainbow Darter 66
Potomac Sculpin 49
Greenside Darter 42
Spotfin Shiner 40
Longnose Dace 35
Rock Bass 35
Fantail Darter 25
Common Shiner 22
Margined Madtom 17
Smallmouth Bass 16
Green Sunfish 11
Redbreast Sunfish 11
Rosyface Shiner 5
American Eel 4
Blacknose Dace 3
Creek Chub 3
Northern Hogsucker 2
Chain Pickerel 1
Fallfish 1
Longear Sunfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 50
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 11
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 6
Drunella Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 6
Stenacron Mayfly 6
Eurylophella Mayfly 4
Allocapnia Small Winter Stonefly 3
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 3
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 2
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Simulium Black Fly 2
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 2
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 2
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 2
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 1
Cura Flatworm 1
Perlidae Common Stonefly 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Atherix 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.