MBSS Site Summary for: CATO-201-B-2010

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site CATO-201-B-2010-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site CATO-201-B-2010-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Little Catoctin Creek in the Catoctin Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140305.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/18/2010 and again in the summer on 6/10/2010.

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 Good - 4.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,027 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 8.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 86.9 %
Forested Land Use 4 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 10/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 12 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 65 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 65 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 65%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.605
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		777.1 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.7621 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 9 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 519
Fantail Darter 95
Longnose Dace 36
Central Stoneroller 26
Bluntnose Minnow 24
River Chub 9
White Sucker 8
Green Sunfish 5
Redbreast Sunfish 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Tree Of Heaven
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 31
Diphetor Mayfly 17
Gomphidae Clubtail Dragonfly 5
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 4
Antocha Crane Fly 4
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 4
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 4
Neophylax Caddisfly 3
Perlidae Common Stonefly 3
Psephenus Water Penny 3
Lumbriculidae Worm 3
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 3
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 2
Diamesinae Non-Biting Midges 2
Leptophlebiidae Pronggilled Mayfly 2
Baetis Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 2
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 1
Chelifera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Prosimulium Black Fly 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Diamesa Bloodworm 1
Pseudolimnophila Crane Fly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 1
Caenis Mayfly 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Leuctridae Rolledwinged Stonefly 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydropsyche 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.