MBSS Site Summary for: CR-P-344-219-96


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 7/25/1996.

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 2,353 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 0.4 %
Agricultural Land Use 81.6 %
Forested Land Use 17.2 %


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 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 50 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 18.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 10.4 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.33
Conductivity 154 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		332.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1 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 14 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 475
Central Stoneroller 100
Blacknose Dace 72
Creek Chub 56
Rosyside Dace 49
White Sucker 31
Cutlip Minnow 19
Longnose Dace 13
Bluegill 8
Brown Trout 7
Common Shiner 6
Bluntnose Minnow 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Northern Hogsucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Snapping Turtle
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
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 20
Prosimulium Black Fly 16
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 15
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 13
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 8
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 6
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 6
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 6
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 4
Antocha Crane Fly 2
Eurylophella Mayfly 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 1
Paraleptophlebia Blue Quill Mayfly 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 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.