MBSS Site Summary for: TA-N-041-201-97


Located on TUCKAHOE CR UT2 in the Tuckahoe Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02130405.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/17/1997 and again in the summer on 7/11/1997.

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 Good - 5.0 / 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 4,871 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 3.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 68.4 %
Forested Land Use 28 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 40 %
Embeddedness 80 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 80%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18.6 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.4 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.05
Conductivity 245 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		614.4 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 5.5 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 15 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 41
Fallfish 40
Eastern Mudminnow 26
Pumpkinseed 17
Bluegill 13
American Eel 11
Redfin Pickerel 10
Swallowtail Shiner 10
Creek Chubsucker 6
Pirate Perch 6
Redbreast Sunfish 6
White Sucker 2
Chain Pickerel 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Tadpole Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Common Five-Lined Skink
Northern Green Frog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 22
Prosimulium Black Fly 21
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 9
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 8
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 7
Conchapelopia Non-Biting Midges 7
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 7
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 6
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Eurylophella Mayfly 3
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 2
Coenagrionidae Narrowwinged Damselfly 2
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 2
Probezzia Biting Midges 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 1
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 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.