MBSS Site Summary for: LIBE-333-A-2013

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIBE-333-A-2013-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIBE-333-A-2013-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on NORTH BRANCH PATAPSCO RIVER in the Liberty Reservoir watershed, 8-digit code: 02130907.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/5/2013 and again in the summer on 8/26/2013.

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 Good - 4.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 33,715 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 16.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 52.8 %
Forested Land Use 27.3 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 68 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 33 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 45 %
Embeddedness 35 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 8.12
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		581.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.192 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 20 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Central Stoneroller 2387
Blue Ridge Sculpin 1008
White Sucker 514
Common Shiner 347
Longnose Dace 145
River Chub 142
Cutlip Minnow 141
Bluntnose Minnow 114
Tessellated Darter 98
Rosyside Dace 95
Blacknose Dace 91
Northern Hogsucker 90
Creek Chub 58
Rosyface Shiner 18
Smallmouth Bass 15
Margined Madtom 14
Brown Trout 6
Largemouth Bass 3
Redbreast Sunfish 2
Notropis Hybrid 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 22
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 13
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 13
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 12
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 8
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 7
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 5
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 4
Antocha Crane Fly 3
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 2
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 2
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 1
CAPNIIDAE Small Winter Stonefly 1
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Tribelos Non-Biting Midges 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Parakiefferiella European Non-Biting Midge 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Wormaldia Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 1
SIMULIIDAE Black Fly 1
GOMPHIDAE Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Leucotrichia 1
NAIDIDAE Aquatic Worm 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.