MBSS Site Summary for: FR-P-116-221-96


Located on CABBAGE RUN in the Lower Monocacy River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140302.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/22/1996 and again in the summer on 6/27/1996.

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 - 1.8 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 2,138 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 0.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 55.5 %
Forested Land Use 43.7 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 8/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 9/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 10 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17.3 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.9 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.24
Conductivity 152 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		345.6 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 13 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Potomac Sculpin 114
Blacknose Dace 105
Creek Chub 48
Fantail Darter 46
Longnose Dace 30
Bluntnose Minnow 25
Largemouth Bass 15
White Sucker 5
Redbreast Sunfish 3
Bluegill 2
Yellow Bullhead 2
Banded Killifish 1
Lepomis Hybrid 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
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
Prosimulium Black Fly 36
Parakiefferiella European Non-Biting Midge 9
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 7
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 7
Diamesa Bloodworm 5
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 4
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 3
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 2
Paracapnia Small Winter Stonefly 2
Ormosia Cranefly 2
Stegopterna Black Fly 2
Enchytraeidae Aquatic Worm 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Heterotrissocladius European Non-Biting Midge 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 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.