MBSS Site Summary for: UPCR-101-R-2004

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site UPCR-101-R-2004-1 (Opens in a new window)

Located on MILLS BR in the Upper Chester River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130510.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/31/2004 and again in the summer on 6/9/2004.

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 Poor - 1.9 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 835 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 1 %
Agricultural Land Use 93 %
Forested Land Use 4 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 7/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 6/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 6/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 60 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 15 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 60 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 60%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 23.6 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 3.8 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (3.8 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
pH (lab) 6.83
Conductivity 235 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		792 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 7.7 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
Fathead Minnow 38
American Eel 20
Bluegill 9
Golden Shiner 8
Brown Bullhead 6
Pumpkinseed 5
Green Sunfish 3
Common Carp 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Painted Turtle
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Stinkpot

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 51
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 21
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 17
Erpobdellidae Leech 4
Cladotanytarsus Non-Biting Midge 4
Hydrobaenus Midge 2
Branchiura 2
Chauliodes 1
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
Dolichopodidae Long-Legged Fly 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Stictochironomus Non-Biting Midge 1
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 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.