MBSS Site Summary for: YOUG-119-R-2015


Located on WHITE MEADOW RUN in the Youghiogheny River watershed, 8-digit code: 05020201.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/18/2015 and again in the summer on 7/16/2015.

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 Poor - 2.8 / 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 1,214 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 6.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 21.8 %
Forested Land Use 66.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 10/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 6/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 6/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 73 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 2 meters 		2/20 (Poor)
Shading 20 %
Embeddedness 90 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 90%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.04
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		298.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.3309 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 10 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 42
White Sucker 13
Green Sunfish 12
Largemouth Bass 8
Rock Bass 8
Blacknose Dace 5
Bluegill 5
Brown Bullhead 1
Golden Shiner 1
Redfin Pickerel 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 16
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 14
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 11
Prosimulium Black Fly 11
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 9
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 6
Lype Net Tube Caddisfly 5
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 5
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 5
Pycnopsyche Great Autumn Brown Sedge Caddisfly 4
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 4
Heterotrissocladius European Non-Biting Midge 3
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 3
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Chrysops Deerfly 2
Helisoma 2
Platycentropus 1
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 1
Sialis Alderfly 1
Musculium Fingernail Clam 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Cryptochironomus Non-Biting Midges 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydatophylax Northern Caddisfly 1
Pisidiidae Pill Clam 1
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 1
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 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.