MBSS Site Summary for: FR-P-298-308-96


Located on OWENS CR in the Upper Monocacy River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140303.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/14/1996 and again in the summer on 9/21/1996.

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 - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.8 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 19,413 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 39 %
Forested Land Use 60 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 17/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 75 %
Embeddedness 40 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 15.9 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.6 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.5
Conductivity 74 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		517.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.6 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 22 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Potomac Sculpin 66
Bluntnose Minnow 65
Fallfish 39
Greenside Darter 27
Longnose Dace 17
Silverjaw Minnow 13
Fantail Darter 11
Spottail Shiner 11
Central Stoneroller 10
Redbreast Sunfish 9
Common Shiner 6
Rock Bass 6
Green Sunfish 5
Blacknose Dace 4
Northern Hogsucker 4
White Sucker 4
Blue Ridge Sculpin 3
Creek Chub 2
Smallmouth Bass 2
Spotfin Shiner 2
American Eel 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Box Turtle

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Allocapnia Small Winter Stonefly 23
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 11
Prosimulium Black Fly 11
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 9
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 7
Oemopteryx Stonefly 6
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 5
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 3
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 3
Clioperla Green-Winged Stonefly 3
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 3
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 2
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 2
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 1
Gammarus Amphipod 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.