MBSS Site Summary for: CR-P-070-314-96


Located on GUNPOWDER FALLS in the Prettyboy Reservoir watershed, 8-digit code: 02130806.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/15/1996 and again in the summer on 6/17/1996.

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 - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 10,349 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 0.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 68.9 %
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 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 7/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 60 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 60%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 22.8 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.6 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.61
Conductivity 155 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		528.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.3 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
Blacknose Dace 114
Blue Ridge Sculpin 65
Common Shiner 51
White Sucker 50
Rosyside Dace 49
Creek Chub 29
Northern Hogsucker 23
Longnose Dace 22
Bluntnose Minnow 20
River Chub 15
Central Stoneroller 9
Cutlip Minnow 5
Redbreast Sunfish 3
Green Sunfish 1
Margined Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Northern Dusky Salamander

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 29
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 26
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 8
Stenelmis Beetle 5
Simulium Black Fly 4
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 3
Antocha Crane Fly 3
Empididae Dance Fly 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 1
Hirudinea Leech 1
Diphetor Mayfly 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Chironomidae Non-Biting Midge 1
Paramerina Non-Biting Midge 1
Goera 1
Drunella Blue-Winged Olive 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.