MBSS Site Summary for: YOUG-102-X-2015


Located on CHERRY CREEK in the Youghiogheny River watershed, 8-digit code: 05020201.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/21/2015 and again in the summer on 6/23/2015.

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 - 3.5 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 679 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 8.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 7.3 %
Forested Land Use 83.7 %


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 9/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 50 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 25 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Shading 15 %
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) 7.11
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		253.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.5918 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 2 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 66
Creek Chub 3
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Spring Salamander
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus carinirostris

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 32
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 14
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 6
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 6
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 6
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 5
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 5
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 3
Simulium Black Fly 3
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Cladotanytarsus Non-Biting Midge 2
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
Pycnopsyche Great Autumn Brown Sedge Caddisfly 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Penelomax 2
Chrysops Deerfly 2
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Psilometriocnemus 1
Pseudolimnophila Crane Fly 1
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 1
Clioperla Green-Winged Stonefly 1
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Litobrancha 1
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 1
Cordulegaster Spiketail Dragonfly 1
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 1
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheotanytarsus 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.