MBSS Site Summary for: STIL-202-R-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site STIL-202-R-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site STIL-202-R-2007-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Mill Creek in the Stillpond-Fairlee watershed, 8-digit code: 02130611.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/29/2007 and again in the summer on 8/28/2007.

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 Fair - 3.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.4 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 2,974 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 1.3 %
Agricultural Land Use 73.6 %
Forested Land Use 21.4 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 8/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 6/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 66 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 9 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 50 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 21.9 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 6.2 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.61
Conductivity 122 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		191.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 5.34 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 13 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Bluegill 94
Pumpkinseed 70
American Eel 28
Tessellated Darter 20
Least Brook Lamprey 15
Creek Chub 12
Satinfin Shiner 12
Brown Bullhead 10
Swallowtail Shiner 10
White Sucker 10
Golden Shiner 2
Largemouth Bass 2
Gizzard Shad 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Eastern Cricket Frog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Watersnake
Pickerel Frog
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Tree Of Heaven
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 11
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 10
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 6
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 6
Tribelos Non-Biting Midges 5
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 5
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 5
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 3
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 3
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Caecidotea Isopod 3
Stenelmis Beetle 2
Synurella Amphipod 2
Calopteryx Damselfly 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 2
Nanocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 2
Ancyronyx Spider Riffle Beetle 2
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 1
Boyeria Spotted Darner Dragonfly 1
Sialis Alderfly 1
Hydroporus Water Beetle 1
Dineutus Whirlygig Beetle 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 1
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 1
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 1
Paratendipes European Non-Biting Midge 1
Stenochironomus European Non-Biting Midge 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Anchytarsus Beetle 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Peltodytes Crawling Water Beetle 1
Dolichopodidae Long-Legged Fly 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Chironomini Non-Biting Midge 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Chaetocladius 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.