MBSS Site Summary for: UPCK-309-A-2010

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site UPCK-309-A-2010-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site UPCK-309-A-2010-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Forge Branch in the Upper Choptank watershed, 8-digit code: 02130404.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/3/2010 and again in the summer on 8/10/2010.

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 Good - 5.0 / 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 7,676 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 0.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 68.1 %
Forested Land Use 28.6 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 18/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 18/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 57 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 22 meters 		10/20 (Marginal)
Shading 55 %
Embeddedness 85 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 85%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.715
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		257.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 7.588 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
Eastern Mudminnow 60
Creek Chubsucker 42
Pumpkinseed 34
Redbreast Sunfish 30
Tessellated Darter 26
American Eel 23
Chain Pickerel 22
Tadpole Madtom 16
Largemouth Bass 15
Pirate Perch 15
Golden Shiner 14
Bluegill 13
Least Brook Lamprey 10
Yellow Bullhead 5
Green Sunfish 4
Redfin Pickerel 1
Yellow Perch 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

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

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 34
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 22
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 12
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 7
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 5
Amphipoda Scud 5
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Musculium Fingernail Clam 2
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 2
Gammarus Amphipod 2
Chelifera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Enchytraeidae Aquatic Worm 1
Naididae Aquatic Worm 1
Corbicula Basket Clam 1
Ormosia Cranefly 1
Isotomurus Elongate-Bodied Springtail 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Mystacides 1
Viviparus 1
Ancyronyx Spider Riffle Beetle 1
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 1
Hydrobiidae Pebble Snail 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Stempellinella 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.