MBSS Site Summary for: LIGU-201-A-2008

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIGU-201-A-2008-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIGU-201-A-2008-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on LITTLE GUNPOWDER FALLS 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 7/18/2008.

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 Good - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.7 / 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 17,462 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 2.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 66.6 %
Forested Land Use 30 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat

Instream Habitat 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 52 meters
14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 43 meters
17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 20 %


Stream Water Quality:

Water temperature 25.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.4 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.44
Conductivity 186 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
586.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.1312 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
Common Shiner 101
River Chub 85
Northern Hogsucker 65
Rosyside Dace 65
Cutlip Minnow 44
Tessellated Darter 42
Longnose Dace 36
Blacknose Dace 32
Creek Chub 30
White Sucker 30
American Eel 17
Rosyface Shiner 16
Sea Lamprey 15
Margined Madtom 9
Smallmouth Bass 9
Redbreast Sunfish 8
Swallowtail Shiner 6
Bluegill 2
Cyprinid Hybrid 2
Satinfin Shiner 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

Gray Treefrog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog
Wood Frog

Crayfish:

Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:

Garlic Mustard
Giant Hogweed
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 24
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 19
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 11
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 9
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 6
Prosimulium Black Fly 4
Antocha Crane Fly 4
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 4
Orthocladiinae Midge 3
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 3
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 3
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Robackia European Non-Biting Midge 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 2
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 2
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 1
Promoresia Riffle Beetle 1
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
Dineutus Whirlygig Beetle 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
Micrasema 1
Simuliidae Black Fly 1
Drunella Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 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.