MBSS Site Summary for: CR-P-234-216-96


Located on PINEY RUN in the S Branch Patapsco watershed, 8-digit code: 02130908.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/13/1996 and again in the summer on 6/13/1996.

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 - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 1,569 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 1.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 81 %
Forested Land Use 16.1 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 20 %
Embeddedness 80 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 80%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 19.1 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.2 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.07
Conductivity 177 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		367 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.2 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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 279
Blacknose Dace 53
Longnose Dace 21
Rosyside Dace 20
Cutlip Minnow 12
Central Stoneroller 9
Creek Chub 3
Bluntnose Minnow 2
Common Shiner 2
White Sucker 2
Brown Trout 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 26
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 13
Antocha Crane Fly 9
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 8
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 7
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 4
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 3
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 3
Conchapelopia Non-Biting Midges 3
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 3
Paraleptophlebia Blue Quill Mayfly 3
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 2
Naididae Aquatic Worm 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
Stylogomphus Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Oemopteryx Stonefly 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 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.