MBSS Site Summary for: LIGU-201-R-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIGU-201-R-2015_Midpoint-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIGU-201-R-2015_Midpoint-upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on LITTLE GUNPOWDER in the Little Gunpowder Falls watershed, 8-digit code: 02130804.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/2/2015 and again in the summer on 7/22/2015.

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 - 3.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 8,580 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 7.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 61.1 %
Forested Land Use 30.2 %


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 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 15 meters 		10/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 60 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 60 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.52
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		480.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.2924 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 16 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 251
White Sucker 202
Blacknose Dace 201
Longnose Dace 147
Rosyside Dace 98
Creek Chub 57
Cutlip Minnow 53
Northern Hogsucker 47
Sea Lamprey 36
River Chub 28
American Eel 23
Largemouth Bass 14
Swallowtail Shiner 13
Common Shiner 10
Margined Madtom 8
Bluegill 3
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 37
Antocha Crane Fly 30
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 10
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 8
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 7
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 4
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 4
Glossosoma Little Black Caddisfly 3
Prosimulium Black Fly 3
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 3
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Stilocladius Midge 1
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 1
Diamesa Bloodworm 1
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Nanocladius Non-Biting Midges 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.