MBSS Site Summary for: CR-P-138-116-95


Located on GILLIS FALLS UT1 in the S Branch Patapsco watershed, 8-digit code: 02130908.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/30/1995 and again in the summer on 6/14/1995.

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 Fair - 3.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 274 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 %
Agricultural Land Use 95.6 %
Forested Land Use 4.5 %


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 16/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 7/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality 10/20 (Marginal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 15 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18.4 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.98
Conductivity 186 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		303.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2 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 3 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 159
Blacknose Dace 129
Creek Chub 21
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Red-Backed Salamander
Northern Green Frog
Northern Red Salamander
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 38
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 19
Conchapelopia Non-Biting Midges 9
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 9
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 8
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 6
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 6
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Diamesa Bloodworm 4
Paraleptophlebia Blue Quill Mayfly 4
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 4
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 2
Pseudolimnophila Crane Fly 2
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Chelifera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Bezzia Biting Midge 1
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 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.