MBSS Site Summary for: CR-P-156-314-96


Located on PINEY CR in the Upper Monocacy River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140303.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/13/1996 and again in the summer on 8/20/1996.

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 Good - 5.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 6,949 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 3.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 82.7 %
Forested Land Use 13.2 %


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 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 18 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18.6 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.3 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.42
Conductivity 189 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		604.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.8 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
Potomac Sculpin 175
Fantail Darter 72
Creek Chub 60
Central Stoneroller 35
Blacknose Dace 26
Bluntnose Minnow 20
Spottail Shiner 19
Longnose Dace 18
White Sucker 15
Greenside Darter 11
Redbreast Sunfish 11
Margined Madtom 5
Smallmouth Bass 3
Satinfin Shiner 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Eastern Red-Backed Salamander
Northern Spring Peeper
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Limnodrilus Worm 18
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 13
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 12
Paracapnia Small Winter Stonefly 9
Stictochironomus Non-Biting Midge 7
Hydrobaenus Midge 6
Leucrocuta Mayfly 4
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Thienemannimyia Non-Biting Midges 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Lumbriculidae Worm 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Ephemera Mayfly 1
Crangonyx Amphipod 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 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.