MBSS Site Summary for: UELK-101-R-2008

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site UELK-101-R-2008-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site UELK-101-R-2008-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on PLUM CREEK in the Upper Elk River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130603.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/3/2008 and again in the summer on 6/13/2008.

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 Poor - 2.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.1 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 614 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0 %
Agricultural Land Use 0.9 %
Forested Land Use 98.6 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 8/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 6/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 6/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 67 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 8 meters 		2/20 (Poor)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 30 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 23.3 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 6.6 mg/L
pH (lab) 4.74
Conductivity 44 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		-15.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.8407 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 1 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Redfin Pickerel 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Box Turtle
Gray Treefrog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Watersnake
Pickerel Frog
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No Exotic Plants Observed
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Stegopterna Black Fly 48
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 21
Heterotrissocladius European Non-Biting Midge 11
Cnephia Black Fly 6
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 3
Platycentropus 3
Enchytraeidae Aquatic Worm 2
Ceratopogonidae Biting Midge 2
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 2
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Agabus Predatory Aquatic Beetle 1
Pilaria 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Ormosia Cranefly 1
Tipulidae Cranefly 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.