MBSS Site Summary for: WA-V-186-210-95


Located on LITTLE ANTIETAM CR in the Antietam Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140502.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/1/1995 and again in the summer on 7/11/1995.

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 - 4.7 / 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 4,608 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 0.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 52 %
Forested Land Use 46.8 %


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 5/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 60 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 19.5 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.2 mg/L
pH (lab) 8.14
Conductivity 270 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		1337 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2 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 8 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 504
Bluntnose Minnow 334
Fantail Darter 185
White Sucker 185
Creek Chub 182
Longnose Dace 85
Rock Bass 2
Greenside Darter 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Red Salamander
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 23
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 22
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 19
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 15
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 8
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 6
Antocha Crane Fly 6
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 5
Prosimulium Black Fly 4
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 4
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 4
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 3
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 2
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 2
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Argia Narrow-Winged Damselfly 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Heterotrissocladius European Non-Biting Midge 1
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 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.