MBSS Site Summary for: TUCK-206-R-2016


Located on Blackiston Branch in the Tuckahoe Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02130405.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/7/2016 and again in the summer on 6/9/2016.

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 Good - 4.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 4,234 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 69.6 %
Forested Land Use 14.1 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 17/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 65 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 10 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 100 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 100%. This is very high, and may adversely affect biotic communities.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.87
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		458.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 7.914 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
Rosyside Dace 26
Fallfish 25
Pumpkinseed 23
Tessellated Darter 21
Bluegill 17
Redfin Pickerel 15
Creek Chubsucker 9
American Eel 8
Eastern Mudminnow 7
Pirate Perch 7
Redbreast Sunfish 5
Chain Pickerel 3
Swallowtail Shiner 3
White Sucker 3
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 33
Prosimulium Black Fly 22
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 12
Gammarus Amphipod 11
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 7
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 7
Ancyronyx Spider Riffle Beetle 2
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 2
Tribelos Non-Biting Midges 2
Argia Narrow-Winged Damselfly 2
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Calopteryx Damselfly 2
Musculium Fingernail Clam 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Helichus Beetle 1
Ceratopogonidae Biting Midge 1
Molophilus 1
Sialis Alderfly 1
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Potthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 1
Orthocladius 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.