MBSS Site Summary for: ZEKI-104-R-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site ZEKI-104-R-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site ZEKI-104-R-2009-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on James Run in the Zekiah Swamp watershed, 8-digit code: 02140108.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/10/2009 and again in the summer on 6/16/2009.

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 Good - 4.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 550 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 4.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 42.5 %
Forested Land Use 52.6 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 9/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 7/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 59 meters 		10/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 17 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Shading 75 %
Embeddedness 60 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 60%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18.9 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.22
Conductivity 91 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		309.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.5989 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 6 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Bluegill 11
Creek Chubsucker 2
Redfin Pickerel 2
American Eel 1
Golden Shiner 1
Tessellated Darter 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Marbled Salamander
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Upland Chorus Frog

Crayfish:
Cambaridae
Orconectes
Procambarus clarkii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 25
Siphlonurus Gray Drake Mayfly 11
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 11
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 11
Neoporus 10
Menetus Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 6
Paramerina Non-Biting Midge 4
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 4
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 4
Pisidiidae Pill Clam 3
Hydrobaenus Midge 3
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 2
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 2
Hydrochus 1
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Pseudosuccinea Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Ptilostomis Giant Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Tanypodinae 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.