MBSS Site Summary for: AA-N-091-305-97


Located on SEVERN RUN in the Severn River watershed, 8-digit code: 02131002.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/25/1997 and again in the summer on 8/5/1997.

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 - 3.3 / 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 7,492 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 30.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 18.1 %
Forested Land Use 46.1 %


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 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 75 %
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:
Water temperature 19.1 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.2 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.18
Conductivity 167 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		453.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.2 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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
American Eel 65
Tessellated Darter 23
Pumpkinseed 12
Blacknose Dace 10
Bluegill 10
White Sucker 10
Yellow Perch 8
Green Sunfish 5
Brown Bullhead 2
Chain Pickerel 1
Eastern Mudminnow 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Green Frog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Acentrella Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 32
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 16
Diamesa Bloodworm 8
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 6
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Conchapelopia Non-Biting Midges 3
Stenochironomus European Non-Biting Midge 2
Hyalella Amphipod 1
Naididae Aquatic Worm 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Lype Net Tube Caddisfly 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 1
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 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.