MBSS Site Summary for: CR-P-330-229-96


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 7/24/1996.

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 Fair - 3.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 6,318 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 %
Agricultural Land Use 83.9 %
Forested Land Use 12.8 %


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 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 20 %
Embeddedness 30 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 20.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 10.2 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.62
Conductivity 175 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		419.5 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 17 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 382
Central Stoneroller 334
Rosyside Dace 266
Blacknose Dace 260
Common Shiner 172
White Sucker 162
Longnose Dace 97
Creek Chub 96
Cutlip Minnow 69
Bluntnose Minnow 32
Northern Hogsucker 30
River Chub 9
Brown Trout 8
Fallfish 4
Tessellated Darter 3
Largemouth Bass 2
Cyprinid Hybrid 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Watersnake
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
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 19
Prosimulium Black Fly 10
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 6
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 5
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 5
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 4
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 4
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 3
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 3
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 2
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Corydalus Dobsonfly 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Ephemera Mayfly 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 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.