MBSS Site Summary for: STMA-103-R-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site STMA-103-R-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site STMA-103-R-2009-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on UT St. Mary's River in the St. Mary's River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140103.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/1/2009 and again in the summer on 7/7/2009.

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 - 4.0 / 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 600 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 22.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 13.8 %
Forested Land Use 53.9 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 10/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 9/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 66 meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 12 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 55 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 55%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 19.8 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 6.2 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.85
Conductivity 122 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		432 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.3644 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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
American Eel 27
Tessellated Darter 24
Redbreast Sunfish 22
Blacknose Dace 21
Bluegill 9
Pumpkinseed 7
Swallowtail Shiner 7
Least Brook Lamprey 4
Eastern Mudminnow 3
Margined Madtom 2
Spottail Shiner 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Haploperla Green Stonefly 18
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 17
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 11
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 10
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 9
Hexatoma Crane Fly 6
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 4
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 4
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Stenelmis Beetle 3
Gomphidae Clubtail Dragonfly 3
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 2
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 2
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 2
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 1
Centroptilum Small Minnow Mayfly 1
Parakiefferiella European Non-Biting Midge 1
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Leptoceridae Longhorned Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Perlidae Common Stonefly 1
Sialis Alderfly 1
Anchytarsus Beetle 1
Tabanus Biting Horsefly 1
Bezzia Biting Midge 1
Simulium Black Fly 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.