MBSS Site Summary for: UPPC-111-R-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site UPPC-111-R-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site UPPC-111-R-2009-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Double Bridge Branch in the Upper Pocomoke River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130203.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/17/2009 and again in the summer on 7/6/2009.

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 Fair - 3.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 2,014 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 2.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 43.6 %
Forested Land Use 52.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 3/20 (Poor)
Epifaunal Substrate 2/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 2/20 (Poor)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 25 %
Embeddedness 100 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 100%. This is very high, and may adversely affect biotic communities.
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Poor' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 20.1 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 4.9 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (4.9 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
pH (lab) 6.18
Conductivity 217 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		207.4 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 15.5893 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
Bluegill 53
Green Sunfish 15
Pumpkinseed 13
Redfin Pickerel 12
Golden Shiner 8
Brown Bullhead 7
Eastern Mudminnow 6
Creek Chubsucker 4
Yellow Bullhead 4
Eastern Mosquitofish 3
Largemouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Box Turtle
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
Procambarus
Procambarus clarkii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 27
Caecidotea Isopod 8
Tipulidae Cranefly 8
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 7
Neoporus 6
Peltodytes Crawling Water Beetle 5
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 4
Crangonyx Amphipod 4
Hydrobaenus Midge 4
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 3
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Musculium Fingernail Clam 2
Corixidae Water Boatman 2
Limnodrilus Worm 2
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Tropisternus Water Scavenger Beetle 1
Kiefferulus 1
Spirosperma Aquatic Oligochaete Worm 1
Pilaria 1
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 1
Crangonyctidae Scud 1
Paramerina Non-Biting Midge 1
Phaenopsectra 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.