MBSS Site Summary for: STIL-206-R-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site STIL-206-R-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site STIL-206-R-2007-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Fairlee 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 8/13/2007.

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 - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.9 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 1,270 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 2.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 72.8 %
Forested Land Use 22.4 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 9/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 6/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 72 meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 4 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 60 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 60%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 21.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.8 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.2
Conductivity 149 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		542 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 10.4069 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 16 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Bluegill 64
American Eel 33
Tessellated Darter 22
Pumpkinseed 20
Goldfish 12
Least Brook Lamprey 11
Yellow Bullhead 8
Brown Bullhead 6
Banded Killifish 2
Creek Chubsucker 2
Eastern Mudminnow 2
Alewife 1
Black Crappie 1
Golden Shiner 1
Green Sunfish 1
Mummichog 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Black Racer
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 11
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 11
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 10
Tribelos Non-Biting Midges 8
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 8
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 7
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 6
Oecetis Long-Horned Caddisfly 5
Hydrobiidae Pebble Snail 5
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 4
Stegopterna Black Fly 4
Stenelmis Beetle 3
Simuliidae Black Fly 2
Synurella Amphipod 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 2
Ancyronyx Spider Riffle Beetle 2
Dineutus Whirlygig Beetle 2
Conchapelopia Non-Biting Midges 2
Cryptochironomus Non-Biting Midges 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 1
Pisidiidae Pill Clam 1
Boyeria Spotted Darner Dragonfly 1
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Helichus Beetle 1
Stagnicola Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Stenochironomus European Non-Biting Midge 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.