MBSS Site Summary for: WIRH-220-S-2008

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site WIRH-220-S-2008-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site WIRH-220-S-2008-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on LEONARD POND RUN in the Wicomico River Head watershed, 8-digit code: 02130304.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/11/2008 and again in the summer on 8/5/2008.

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 Fair - 3.9 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 13,675 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 9.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 48.6 %
Forested Land Use 38.1 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 17/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 9/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 85 %
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:
Water temperature 18.7 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.5 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.64
Conductivity 169 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		296.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 6.191 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 12 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 128
Least Brook Lamprey 36
Eastern Mudminnow 25
Chain Pickerel 18
American Eel 17
Pirate Perch 12
Bluegill 9
Largemouth Bass 5
Pumpkinseed 5
Yellow Perch 4
Margined Madtom 3
Tadpole Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Box Turtle
Fowler's Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Pickerel Frog
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 17
Simuliidae Black Fly 9
Eurylophella Mayfly 7
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 6
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 5
Ceratopogonidae Biting Midge 5
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 4
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 4
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 4
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 4
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 3
Neoporus 3
Paratendipes European Non-Biting Midge 3
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 2
Lype Net Tube Caddisfly 2
Chironomidae Non-Biting Midge 2
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 2
Crangonyctidae Scud 2
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 1
Limnodrilus Worm 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Ceraclea Scaly-Winged Sedge Caddisfly 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Tribelos Non-Biting Midges 1
Clinotanypus Non-Biting Midge 1
Procladius Non-Biting Midge 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Tipulidae Cranefly 1
Crangonyx Amphipod 1
Gammarus Amphipod 1
Probezzia 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.