MBSS Site Summary for: TUCK-309-R-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site TUCK-309-R-2016_midpoint looking downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site TUCK-309-R-2016_midpoint looking upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Mason Branch in the Tuckahoe Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02130405.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/21/2016 and again in the summer on 8/16/2016.

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 Fair - 3.3 / 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 23,269 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 4.3 %
Agricultural Land Use 57.9 %
Forested Land Use 15 %


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 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 6/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 10 %
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) 6.78
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		439.4 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.9769 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 17 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Redbreast Sunfish 31
Tadpole Madtom 25
Margined Madtom 19
Tessellated Darter 14
Least Brook Lamprey 13
Creek Chubsucker 11
American Eel 10
Bluegill 8
Eastern Mudminnow 7
Fallfish 7
Redfin Pickerel 7
Swallowtail Shiner 6
Largemouth Bass 5
Pumpkinseed 3
Yellow Bullhead 2
Golden Shiner 1
Pirate Perch 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Common Five-Lined Skink
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Eastern Painted Turtle
Northern Black Racer
Northern Green Frog
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Plauditus Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 69
Heterocloeon 29
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 9
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 7
Gammarus Amphipod 5
Orthocladiinae Midge 3
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 2
Corbicula Basket Clam 2
Simulium Black Fly 1
Goniobasis 1
Enallagma Narrow-Winged Damselfly 1
Pseudochironomus Non-Biting Midge 1
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydrobiidae Pebble Snail 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.