MBSS Site Summary for: WEBR-105-R-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site WEBR-105-R-2015_Midpoint-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site WEBR-105-R-2015_Midpoint-upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on BACK BRANCH in the Western Branch watershed, 8-digit code: 02131103.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/19/2015 and again in the summer on 6/8/2015.

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 Good - 4.1 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,702 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 37.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 16.3 %
Forested Land Use 40.2 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 37 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 43 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 75 %
Embeddedness 85 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 85%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.34
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		440.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.3064 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 13 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 75
Rosyside Dace 24
Creek Chub 23
Swallowtail Shiner 12
Least Brook Lamprey 10
Fallfish 9
Tessellated Darter 9
Sea Lamprey 6
Green Sunfish 4
American Eel 3
Eastern Mudminnow 3
White Sucker 3
Eastern Mosquitofish 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydrobaenus Midge 18
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 18
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 10
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 9
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 8
Gammarus Amphipod 7
Orthocladiinae Midge 4
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 4
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 4
Stilocladius Midge 3
Stenelmis Beetle 3
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 3
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 3
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 2
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Lumbriculidae Worm 2
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 2
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 2
Capniidae Small Winter Stonefly 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 1
Odontomesa Non-Biting Midge 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Stenochironomus European Non-Biting Midge 1
Xylotopus Midge 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.