MBSS Site Summary for: WIRH-220-S-2010

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site WIRH-220-S-2010-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site WIRH-220-S-2010-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Comelly Mill Branch in the Wicomico River Head watershed, 8-digit code: 02130304.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/27/2010 and again in the summer on 8/11/2010.

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 - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.6 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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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 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 9 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 80 %
Embeddedness 95 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 95%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.61
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		303.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 5.3064 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 14 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 214
Chain Pickerel 36
Bluegill 21
American Eel 20
Pumpkinseed 15
Pirate Perch 14
Eastern Mudminnow 6
Eastern Mosquitofish 5
Least Brook Lamprey 5
Margined Madtom 5
Largemouth Bass 2
Yellow Perch 2
Creek Chubsucker 1
Redbreast Sunfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Box Turtle
Northern Ring-Necked Snake
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Gammarus Amphipod 22
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 17
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 16
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 11
Amphipoda Scud 11
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 3
Oecetis Long-Horned Caddisfly 3
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 2
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 2
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Synurella Amphipod 2
Simulium Black Fly 1
Chironomini Non-Biting Midge 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Crangonyx Amphipod 1
Stempellinella 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.