MBSS Site Summary for: FR-P-545-345-96


Located on BUSH CR in the Lower Monocacy River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140302.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/18/1996 and again in the summer on 8/19/1996.

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 - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 1.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 11,942 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 5.4 %
Agricultural Land Use 59 %
Forested Land Use 34.3 %


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 16/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality 18/20 (Optimal)
Shading 86 %
Embeddedness 15 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17.8 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.3 mg/L
pH (lab) 8.61
Conductivity 212 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		688.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.4 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 15 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 332
Blacknose Dace 186
Central Stoneroller 88
Longnose Dace 57
Potomac Sculpin 39
Bluntnose Minnow 32
Greenside Darter 15
White Sucker 14
Fallfish 13
Creek Chub 5
Fantail Darter 5
Common Shiner 3
Silverjaw Minnow 2
Tessellated Darter 2
Rock Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
No amphibians and reptiles noted.

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladiinae A Non-Biting Midges 44
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 24
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 11
Prosimulium Black Fly 3
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 3
Eurylophella Mayfly 2
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 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.