MBSS Site Summary for: UPCK-113-S-2010

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site UPCK-113-S-2010-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site UPCK-113-S-2010-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on UT Choptank River in the Upper Choptank watershed, 8-digit code: 02130404.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/27/2010 and again in the summer on 7/29/2010.

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 Fair - 3.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 471 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 45.4 %
Forested Land Use 53.3 %


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 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 72 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 10 meters 		10/20 (Marginal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 75 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 75%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.145
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		167 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 32.219 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 9 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Eastern Mudminnow 37
Pirate Perch 29
Green Sunfish 13
Pumpkinseed 7
Creek Chubsucker 6
American Eel 4
Brown Bullhead 4
Golden Shiner 4
Bluegill 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Pickerel Frog
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Mile-A-Minute
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cnephia Black Fly 15
Stenelmis Beetle 11
Neophylax Caddisfly 10
Gammarus Amphipod 9
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 9
Amphipoda Scud 5
Simuliidae Black Fly 5
Stegopterna Black Fly 4
Caecidotea Isopod 4
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 4
Prosimulium Black Fly 3
Viviparus 3
Synurella Amphipod 2
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 2
Musculium Fingernail Clam 2
Cryptochironomus Non-Biting Midges 2
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 1
Hydrobiidae Pebble Snail 1
Curculionidae Weevil 1
Hydropsychidae Common Netspinner Caddisfly 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Procladius Non-Biting Midge 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Simulium Black Fly 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.