MBSS Site Summary for: SWAN-105-R-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SWAN-105-R-2014-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SWAN-105-R-2014-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on CARSINS RUN in the Swan Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02130706.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/13/2014 and again in the summer on 6/24/2014.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,961 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 10 %
Agricultural Land Use 29.9 %
Forested Land Use 54.9 %


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 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 64 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 21 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 40 %
Embeddedness 30 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 8.25
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		470.1 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 5.9467 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 14 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 414
Swallowtail Shiner 215
Common Shiner 103
Bluegill 95
Rosyside Dace 77
Tessellated Darter 69
American Eel 59
Cutlip Minnow 58
Redbreast Sunfish 57
White Sucker 50
Green Sunfish 47
Creek Chub 40
Largemouth Bass 13
Margined Madtom 7
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Canada Thistle
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Knotweed
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 40
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 17
Prosimulium Black Fly 9
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 9
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 8
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 7
Neophylax Caddisfly 6
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 5
Antocha Crane Fly 4
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 3
Psephenus Water Penny 3
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Hydropsychidae Common Netspinner Caddisfly 2
Gomphidae Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Caenis Mayfly 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Ectopria Water Penny Beetle 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.