MBSS Site Summary for: CR-P-242-224-96


Located on EAST BR PATAPSCO in the Liberty Reservoir watershed, 8-digit code: 02130907.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/14/1996 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 Good - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.3 / 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 13,000 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 1.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 78.5 %
Forested Land Use 19.6 %


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 16/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 18/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 18/20 (Optimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 10 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 20.3 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.64
Conductivity 162 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		389.5 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 16 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 537
Common Shiner 97
Longnose Dace 51
Cutlip Minnow 50
Central Stoneroller 46
White Sucker 45
Blacknose Dace 40
Northern Hogsucker 36
River Chub 33
Rosyside Dace 29
Bluntnose Minnow 16
Tessellated Darter 12
Brown Trout 10
Rosyface Shiner 6
Creek Chub 2
Pumpkinseed 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Red-Backed Salamander
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
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 50
Prosimulium Black Fly 10
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 10
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Hydropsychidae Common Netspinner Caddisfly 4
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 4
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 4
Antocha Crane Fly 2
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 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.