MBSS Site Summary for: WYER-216-A-2011

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site WYER-216-A-2011-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site WYER-216-A-2011-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on SKIPTON CREEK UT in the Wye River watershed, 8-digit code: 02130503.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/23/2011 and again in the summer on 6/6/2011.

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 Fair - 3.9 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,471 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 4.4 %
Agricultural Land Use 63.7 %
Forested Land Use 31.5 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 68 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 11 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Shading 80 %
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) 7.465
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		923.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 11.8682 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 9 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 103
Blacknose Dace 59
American Eel 43
Bluegill 22
Pumpkinseed 9
Eastern Mudminnow 8
Creek Chubsucker 7
Brown Bullhead 5
Golden Shiner 5
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Box Turtle
Northern Spring Peeper

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus
Procambarus clarkii

Exotic Plants:
English Ivy
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 21
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 17
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 16
Paratendipes European Non-Biting Midge 6
Hydrobaenus Midge 4
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 4
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 3
TUBIFICIDAE Aquatic Worm 3
Hexatoma Crane Fly 3
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 2
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 1
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Leptophlebia Pronggilled Mayfly 1
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 1
Stilocladius Midge 1
TIPULIDAE Cranefly 1
Calopteryx Damselfly 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Gomphus Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Lopescladius 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.