MBSS Site Summary for: UPCR-208-S-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site UPCR-208-S-2016_Midpoint looking downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site UPCR-208-S-2016_Midpoint looking upstream (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 3/23/2016 and again in the summer on 9/13/2016.

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 - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.4 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 13,675 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 4 %
Agricultural Land Use 30.8 %
Forested Land Use 64 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 10/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 5/20 (Poor)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 60 meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 15 meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Shading 75 %
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) 6.16
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		111 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 16.464 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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Pirate Perch 9
Redfin Pickerel 7
Green Sunfish 5
Bluegill 4
Tadpole Madtom 4
American Eel 3
Brown Bullhead 2
Sunfish (Hybrid) 2
Tessellated Darter 2
Creek Chubsucker 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Cricket Frog
New Jersey Chorus Frog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Pickerel Frog
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Shrub Honeysuckle
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydrobaenus Midge 28
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 23
Simulium Black Fly 18
Hyalella Amphipod 5
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 5
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 5
Stenochironomus European Non-Biting Midge 4
Musculium Fingernail Clam 4
Stegopterna Black Fly 3
Ostrocerca Stonefly 2
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 1
Symposiocladius 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Perlidae Common Stonefly 1
Prosimulium Black Fly 1
Amnicola Freshwater Snail 1
Coenagrionidae Narrowwinged Damselfly 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.