MBSS Site Summary for: LIGU-101-R-2008

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIGU-101-R-2008-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIGU-101-R-2008-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on NELSON BRANCH in the Little Gunpowder Falls watershed, 8-digit code: 02130804.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/17/2008 and again in the summer on 6/30/2008.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,028 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 0.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 78.2 %
Forested Land Use 20.3 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat

Instream Habitat 9/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 6/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 7/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 63 meters
8/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 12 meters
7/20 (Marginal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:

Water temperature 21.8 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.4 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.24
Conductivity 184 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
472.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.3638 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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 449
Rosyside Dace 191
Tessellated Darter 60
Creek Chub 44
White Sucker 37
Sea Lamprey 27
Cutlip Minnow 25
Longnose Dace 15
Swallowtail Shiner 3
American Eel 2
Largemouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

American Bullfrog
Eastern American Toad
Gray Treefrog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Wood Frog

Crayfish:

Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:

Garlic Mustard
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Paulownia
Privet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 16
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 8
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 7
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 7
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 6
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 5
Limnodrilus Worm 5
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 4
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 4
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 4
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 4
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 3
Baetidae Small Minnow Mayfly 3
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 2
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 2
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 2
Stictochironomus Non-Biting Midge 2
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Dugesiidae Flatworm 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Stylogomphus Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Empididae Dance Fly 1
Robackia European Non-Biting Midge 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 1
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Psephenus Water Penny 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.