Streamwatch Project
Middle Branch of White Clay Creek: Site 0
Site 0 is located above Tice Road in London Grove Township, PA. This is the most upstream site on the Middle Branch so the watershed is only 7 km2. Land use is predominantly uncultivated fields with some forests and active farming. The human population has remained relatively low. At present there are no known point sources above this site. Most water chemistry variables are comparable to the study wide average with the exception of nitrate levels, which were slightly high.
Macroinvertebrate density average 13,000 individuals/m2 and composed anywhere from 60% EPT in 1991 to <10% EPT in 1996, 2004 and 2005. Taxa richness although lower than the reference Site 11 was still relatively high compared to downstream sites. Total Richness and EPT Richness averaged 15 and 7 taxa/200 individuals, respectively. Water quality based on the MAIS score was highly variable and ranged from Good in 1998 and 2003, to Poor in 2005 and averaged Fair (9.7). There appears to be no obvious trend of conditions at this site improving or degrading based on this study.
Total macroinvertebrate density averaged 8200 individuals/m2 between 1991 and 2005. This site was considered Poor on all of the 11 sample dates, with an average MAIS score of 3.8. EPT Richness (2 taxa/200 individuals) and % EPT (9%) were extremely low compared to Site 11, the reference site. Macroinvertebrates characterized this as one of the worst sites and indicate it has shown no improvement since 1991.
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Site number | 0 |
| Description | Above Tice Road in London Grove Township |
| Lat Long (hr min sec) | 39°50.411’ N, -75°51.006’ W |
| Land Use | |
| Watershed area above site (km2) | 7 |
| Population density in 2000 (#/km2) | 80 |
| % Population increase from 1990 to 2000 | 32 |
| Percent pasture/hay | 55 |
| Percent cultivated crops | 26 |
| Percent forest | 17 |
| Chemistry* | |
| Nitrate (mg/L) | 6.08 |
| Ammonium (mg/L) | 0.10 |
| Total Dissolved Phosphorus (mg/L) | 0.015 |
| Soluble Reactive Phosphorus (mg/L) | 0.019 |
| Sulfate (mg/L) | 10.65 |
| Alkalinity (as mg/L CaCO3) | 26.58 |
| pH | 7.47 |
| Conductivity (μmhos) | 179 |
| Dissolved organic carbon (mg/L) | 1.99 |
| Macroinvertebrate Data | |
| years sampled | 1991-2000, 2003-2005, 2008 |
| MAIS score | 9.7 |
| water quality based on MAIS score | Fair |
 Click on macroinvertebrate name to view a photo | |
| 1st most abundant macroinvertebrate | Chironomidae (midges) |
| 2nd most abundant macroinvertebrate | Simuliidae (black flies) |
| 3rd most abundant macroinvertebrate | Hydropsychidae (common netspinner caddisflies) |
| 4th most abundant macroinvertebrate | Elmidae (riffle beetles) |
| 5th most abundant macroinvertebrate | Ephemerellidae (spiny crawler mayflies) |
*See Methods for number of years each chemistry variable was measured.