MBSS Site Summary for: LMON-101-T-2000

Site Photos

Located on LAUREL BR in the Lower Monocacy River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140302.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/14/2000 and again in the summer on 6/27/2000.

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 - 3.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 885 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 1.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 52.6 %
Forested Land Use 37.5 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 42 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 33 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 60 %
Embeddedness 35 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 23.4 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 6.3 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.72
Conductivity 1060 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		1483 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.6 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
Bluntnose Minnow 34
Redbreast Sunfish 15
Green Sunfish 6
Greenside Darter 2
Largemouth Bass 2
Blacknose Dace 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Snapping Turtle

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Canada Thistle
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 40
Prosimulium Black Fly 20
Parakiefferiella European Non-Biting Midge 14
Stegopterna Black Fly 9
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 8
Stenelmis Beetle 6
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 5
Gordiidae Horsehair Worm 3
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 3
Collembola Springtail 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Probezzia Biting Midges 2
Simulium Black Fly 2
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 2
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Caenis Mayfly 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Conchapelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Baetidae Small Minnow 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.