MBSS Site Summary for: UPCK-206-A-2011

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site UPCK-206-A-2011-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site UPCK-206-A-2011-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on KINGS CREEK in the Upper Choptank watershed, 8-digit code: 02130404.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/2/2011 and again in the summer on 7/7/2011.

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 - 4.4 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 6,537 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 12 %
Agricultural Land Use 65.4 %
Forested Land Use 22.1 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 6/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 85 %
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) 7.09
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		583.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 13.3465 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 18 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Satinfin Shiner 130
Banded Killifish 108
Tessellated Darter 49
Pumpkinseed 43
Spottail Shiner 40
Redbreast Sunfish 37
Swallowtail Shiner 35
Creek Chubsucker 28
Golden Shiner 20
Tadpole Madtom 19
Yellow Perch 19
Green Sunfish 15
White Perch 12
Mummichog 8
American Eel 7
Redfin Pickerel 3
Eastern Mudminnow 2
White Sucker 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Common Five-Lined Skink
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Eastern Gartersnake
Eastern Ratsnake
Fowler's Toad
Northern Green Frog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Eurylophella Mayfly 30
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 12
LUMBRICULIDAE Worm 11
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 11
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 9
Centroptilum Small Minnow Mayfly 5
HYDROBIIDAE Pebble Snail 5
Musculium Fingernail Clam 4
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
COENAGRIONIDAE Narrowwinged Damselfly 2
Paramerina Non-Biting Midge 2
LEPTOPHLEBIIDAE Pronggilled Mayfly 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 2
Tribelos Non-Biting Midges 2
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Procladius Non-Biting Midge 1
Notonecta 1
Menetus Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Stagnicola Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Caecidotea Isopod 1
Oecetis Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
DOLICHOPODIDAE Long-Legged Fly 1
Caenis Mayfly 1
Gammarus Amphipod 1
TUBIFICIDAE Aquatic Worm 1
Prosimulium Black Fly 1
TIPULIDAE Cranefly 1
Stenochironomus European Non-Biting Midge 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.