MBSS Site Summary for: CR-P-156-361-96


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 - 2.5 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 6,919 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 82.6 %
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 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 80 %
Embeddedness 17 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18.9 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.3 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.35
Conductivity 188 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		605 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.7 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 17 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Potomac Sculpin 99
Fantail Darter 43
Redbreast Sunfish 38
Creek Chub 36
Greenside Darter 24
White Sucker 19
Longnose Dace 17
Blacknose Dace 12
Central Stoneroller 10
Bluntnose Minnow 4
Green Sunfish 4
Margined Madtom 3
Yellow Bullhead 3
Largemouth Bass 2
Smallmouth Bass 2
Spottail Shiner 2
Bluegill 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 38
Allocapnia Small Winter Stonefly 12
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 7
Conchapelopia Non-Biting Midges 6
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 4
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 4
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 4
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 3
Naididae Aquatic Worm 2
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 2
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 1
Ephemera Mayfly 1
Stenacron Mayfly 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Nanocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Psephenus Water Penny 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.