MBSS Site Summary for: LIGU-307-R-2003

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIGU-307-R-2003-671 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LIGU-307-R-2003-672 (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 3/12/2003 and again in the summer on 7/21/2003.

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 - 4.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 29,917 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 4 %
Agricultural Land Use 60 %
Forested Land Use 35 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 17/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 18/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 40 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 75 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Shading 50 %
Embeddedness 25 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 19.5 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.3 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.42
Conductivity 168 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		398.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.2 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 15 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
River Chub 64
American Eel 56
Cutlip Minnow 49
Margined Madtom 30
Rosyside Dace 26
Common Shiner 16
Longnose Dace 14
Northern Hogsucker 14
Sea Lamprey 8
Tessellated Darter 6
Smallmouth Bass 4
Rainbow Trout 2
White Sucker 2
Largemouth Bass 1
Redbreast Sunfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

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

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Leptoxis Freshwater Snail 42
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 12
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 11
Prosimulium Black Fly 6
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Lumbriculidae Worm 4
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 3
Allocapnia Small Winter Stonefly 3
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 3
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 3
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 2
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 2
Stenacron Mayfly 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Corbicula Basket Clam 2
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 2
Heptageniidae Flathead Mayfly 1
Sphaerium Fingernail Clam 1
Crangonyx Amphipod 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 1
Capniidae Small Winter Stonefly 1
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 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.