MBSS Site Summary for: CA-S-197-302-97


Located on LYONS CR in the Patuxent River middle watershed, 8-digit code: 02131102.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/6/1997 and again in the summer on 7/28/1997.

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 Good - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 5.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 9,591 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 6.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 58.1 %
Forested Land Use 34.9 %


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 5/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 90 %
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 22.3 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.9 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.64
Conductivity 206 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		244.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.3 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
Tessellated Darter 64
Least Brook Lamprey 61
Eastern Mudminnow 39
Tadpole Madtom 30
Fallfish 12
Blacknose Dace 10
Rosyside Dace 10
American Eel 9
Swallowtail Shiner 6
Pumpkinseed 4
Creek Chubsucker 3
Satinfin Shiner 2
Bluegill 1
Redfin Pickerel 1
Yellow Perch 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Cricket Frog
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 18
Sublettea 15
Prosimulium Black Fly 7
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 6
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 5
Thienemannimyia Non-Biting Midges 4
Amphipoda Scud 3
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 3
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 3
Eurylophella Mayfly 3
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Perlidae Common Stonefly 2
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 2
Gammarus Amphipod 2
Paracapnia Small Winter Stonefly 2
Boyeria Spotted Darner Dragonfly 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 1
Corixidae Water Boatman 1
Hyalella Amphipod 1
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Ptilostomis Giant Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 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.