MBSS Site Summary for: LIGU-115-R-2003

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIGU-115-R-2003-673 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIGU-115-R-2003-674 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIGU-115-R-2003-675 (Opens in a new window)

Located on LITTLE GUNPOWDER FALLS UT6 in the Little Gunpowder Falls watershed, 8-digit code: 02130804.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/12/2003 and again in the summer on 6/9/2003.

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.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 720 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 7 %
Agricultural Land Use 51 %
Forested Land Use 40 %


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 = 33 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 60 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 98 %
Embeddedness 30 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 14.1 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 10.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.32
Conductivity 195 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		709.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.3 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 7 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Rosyside Dace 178
Blacknose Dace 101
Creek Chub 97
American Eel 10
White Sucker 10
Bluegill 6
Largemouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 35
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 17
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 16
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 6
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 5
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 5
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 3
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 3
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Epeorus Mayfly 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Gomphidae Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Psephenus Water Penny 1
Oulimnius 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.