MBSS Site Summary for: UPCR-208-S-2012

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site UPCR-208-S-2012-MidpointPdownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site UPCR-208-S-2012-MidpointPupstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on CYPRESS BRANCH in the Upper Chester River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130510.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/15/2012 and again in the summer on 8/1/2012.

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 - 3.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 10,630 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 33.8 %
Forested Land Use 65 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 1/20 (Poor)
Epifaunal Substrate 6/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 1/20 (Poor)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 15 meters 		3/20 (Poor)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 85 %
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 'Poor' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.21
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		166.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 17.8542 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 12 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Green Sunfish 53
Eastern Mudminnow 22
Golden Shiner 6
American Eel 5
Pirate Perch 5
Tadpole Madtom 4
Tessellated Darter 4
Pumpkinseed 2
Redbreast Sunfish 2
Redfin Pickerel 2
Yellow Bullhead 2
Bluegill 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Eastern Cricket Frog
Fowler's Toad
New Jersey Chorus Frog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Japanese Honeysuckle
Multiflora Rose
Tree Of Heaven
Wisteria
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 25
Prosimulium Black Fly 20
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 19
Stegopterna Black Fly 9
Cnephia Black Fly 7
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 7
NEMOURIDAE Nemourid Stonefly 6
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 3
Orthocladiinae Midge 3
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 3
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
TUBIFICIDAE Aquatic Worm 1
Hexatoma Crane Fly 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheotanytarsus 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.