MBSS Site Summary for: ABPG-302-R-2000

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site ABPG-302-R-2000-10_03 (Opens in a new window)

Located on ROMNEY CR in the Aberdeen Proving Ground watershed, 8-digit code: 02130705.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/21/2000 and again in the summer on 8/21/2000.

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 Good - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 1.6 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 7,388 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 27.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 31.3 %
Forested Land Use 37.4 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 3/20 (Poor)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 72 %
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 16.4 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 4.5 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (4.5 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
pH (lab) 6.02
Conductivity 120 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		154.1 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 16 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 12 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Eastern Mudminnow 46
Bluegill 43
American Eel 29
Pumpkinseed 20
Creek Chubsucker 11
Redfin Pickerel 7
Golden Shiner 5
Yellow Bullhead 3
Brown Bullhead 2
Largemouth Bass 2
Green Sunfish 1
Tadpole Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Box Turtle
Fowler's Toad
Pickerel Frog
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 104
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 3
Hydroporus Water Beetle 3
Procladius Non-Biting Midge 2
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 1
Naididae Aquatic Worm 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Tabanus Biting Horsefly 1
Ceratopogonidae Biting Midge 1
Simuliidae Black Fly 1
Pisidium Freshwater Pea (Pill) Clam 1
Caecidotea Isopod 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.