MBSS Site Summary for: FR-P-103-230-96


Located on BALLENGER CR in the Lower Monocacy River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140302.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/11/1996 and again in the summer on 6/3/1996.

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 Poor - 2.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 2,598 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 4.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 63.9 %
Forested Land Use 31.3 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 6/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 6/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 7/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 93 %
Embeddedness 50 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 13.5 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 10.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 8.55
Conductivity 222 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		1051 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.8 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 5 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 179
Potomac Sculpin 169
Longnose Dace 57
Fantail Darter 5
Cutlip Minnow 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 40
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 16
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 11
Stenelmis Beetle 8
Hexatoma Crane Fly 3
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Conchapelopia Non-Biting Midges 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 2
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 1
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 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.