MBSS Site Summary for: WIRH-113-R-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site WIRH-113-R-2015_Midpoint-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site WIRH-113-R-2015_Midpoint-upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on LITTLE BURNT BRANCH in the Wicomico River Head watershed, 8-digit code: 02130304.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/28/2015 and again in the summer on 7/14/2015.

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 Fair - 3.0 / 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 1,805 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 6.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 65.8 %
Forested Land Use 23.6 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 9/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 10 meters 		10/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 65 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 45 %
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) 6.86
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		410.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 4.4068 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 5 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Eastern Mudminnow 75
Tessellated Darter 30
Pirate Perch 6
American Eel 2
Chain Pickerel 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Box Turtle
Fowler's Toad
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Barberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 31
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 27
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 17
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 16
Simulium Black Fly 7
Pseudocloeon 5
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 4
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 4
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 3
Ceratopogonidae Biting Midge 3
Plauditus Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 2
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 2
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 2
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
Paratendipes European Non-Biting Midge 2
Caecidotea Isopod 2
Perlidae Common Stonefly 1
Synurella Amphipod 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Ceratopogon Biting Midge 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Cladotanytarsus Non-Biting Midge 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanypodinae 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.