MBSS Site Summary for: BALT-207-R-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site BALT-207-R-2015_Midpoint-looking-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site BALT-207-R-2015_Midpoint-looking-upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on MARLEY CREEK in the Baltimore Harbor watershed, 8-digit code: 02130903.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/16/2015 and again in the summer on 9/15/2015.

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 - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.4 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 3,166 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 82.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 0.1 %
Forested Land Use 16.7 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 5/20 (Poor)
Epifaunal Substrate 4/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 71 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 4 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Shading 65 %
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:
pH (lab) 6.98
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		595.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 4.4816 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 13 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 48
Mummichog 34
Pumpkinseed 26
Eastern Mosquitofish 15
Redbreast Sunfish 12
White Sucker 12
Blacknose Dace 11
Creek Chubsucker 11
American Eel 4
Bluegill 4
Golden Shiner 3
Least Brook Lamprey 1
Spottail Shiner 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Common Five-Lined Skink

Crayfish:
Procambarus clarkii

Exotic Plants:
Common Reed (Phragmites)
English Ivy
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Hops
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Norway Maple
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 31
Chironomus Non-Biting Midges 24
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 17
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 8
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 8
Naididae Aquatic Worm 4
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 3
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Ferrissia Small Air-Breathing Freshwater Limpets 1
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Gordiidae Horsehair Worm 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 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.