MBSS Site Summary for: LIGU-102-R-2008

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIGU-102-R-2008-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIGU-102-R-2008-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on LITTLE GUNPOWDER FALLS UT in the Little Gunpowder Falls watershed, 8-digit code: 02130804.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/24/2008 and again in the summer on 7/17/2008.

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 - 3.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 5.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 835 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 9.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 50.8 %
Forested Land Use 39.1 %


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 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 48 meters
14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 41 meters
13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 95 %
Embeddedness 0 %


Stream Water Quality:

Water temperature 20 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.6 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.53
Conductivity 319 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
987.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.8131 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 6 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 218
Rosyside Dace 211
Blacknose Dace 116
White Sucker 49
American Eel 16
River Chub 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

Eastern American Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:

Cambarus bartonii bartonii
Cambarus diogenes
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:

Garlic Mustard
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 36
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 27
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 8
Hydrobaenus Midge 7
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 3
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 2
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 2
Perlidae Common Stonefly 2
Paratendipes European Non-Biting Midge 1
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 1
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 1
Promoresia Riffle Beetle 1
Centroptilum Small Minnow Mayfly 1
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Lumbriculidae 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.