MBSS Site Summary for: BA-P-203-215-96


Located on COWEN RUN in the Lower Gunpowder Falls watershed, 8-digit code: 02130802.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/9/1996 and again in the summer on 6/6/1996.

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 Poor - 2.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,913 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 2.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 35.1 %
Forested Land Use 61.5 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 50 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17.7 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 11 mg/L
pH (lab) 8.12
Conductivity 272 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		1526 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.9 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
Longnose Dace 117
American Eel 79
Blacknose Dace 57
Tessellated Darter 35
Creek Chub 27
Rosyside Dace 18
White Sucker 6
Redbreast Sunfish 5
Brown Trout 2
Cutlip Minnow 1
Northern Hogsucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Dusky Salamander
Northern Watersnake
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
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 41
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 21
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 4
Epeorus Mayfly 4
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 4
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 3
Simulium Black Fly 3
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 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.