MBSS Site Summary for: BRIG-218-R-2000

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRIG-218-R-2000-01_0802 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRIG-218-R-2000-02_0803 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRIG-218-R-2000-03_0804 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRIG-218-R-2000-04_0805 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site BRIG-218-R-2000-04_0806 (Opens in a new window)

Located on PATUXENT R UT1 in the Brighton Dam watershed, 8-digit code: 02131108.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/9/2000 and again in the summer on 7/10/2000.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 2,048 acres Cows standing in a stream at a site with high agricultural land use. Cows survey the sampling procedure at this extreme example of a highly agriculturalized site.
Urban Land Use 4.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 64.6 %
Forested Land Use 30.1 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat

Instream Habitat 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 46 meters
14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 29 meters
15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 20 %


Stream Water Quality:

Water temperature 19.3 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.14
Conductivity 240 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
300.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1 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 15 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 141
Rosyside Dace 91
Creek Chub 31
Longnose Dace 11
Tessellated Darter 7
White Sucker 7
Central Stoneroller 6
Common Shiner 4
Bluegill 3
Margined Madtom 3
Brown Trout 2
River Chub 2
Cutlip Minnow 1
Fallfish 1
Northern Hogsucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

Northern Dusky Salamander
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:

No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:

Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 60
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 24
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 14
Neophylax Caddisfly 9
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 5
Naididae Aquatic Worm 3
Tipula Crane Fly 2
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 2
Oemopteryx Stonefly 1
Limnoporus 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 1
Conchapelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 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.