MBSS Site Summary for: LMON-302-X-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LMON-302-X-2014-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LMON-302-X-2014-MidpointUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on BALLENGER CREEK in the Lower Monocacy River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140302.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/23/2014 and again in the summer on 7/1/2014.

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 - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.8 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 7,211 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 23.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 50 %
Forested Land Use 22.3 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 8/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 70 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 8 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 50 %
Embeddedness 65 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 65%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 8.3
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		1790.97 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.1292 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 13 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Potomac Sculpin 144
Fantail Darter 94
Blacknose Dace 73
Green Sunfish 71
White Sucker 51
Common Shiner 23
Bluntnose Minnow 22
Creek Chub 19
Cutlip Minnow 19
Bluegill 14
Longnose Dace 12
Rock Bass 6
Rosyside Dace 3
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Box Turtle
Eastern Painted Turtle
Eastern Ratsnake
Eastern Snapping Turtle

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Shrub Honeysuckle
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 23
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 11
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 9
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 7
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 7
Stenelmis Beetle 7
Simulium Black Fly 4
Antocha Crane Fly 4
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 3
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 3
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 3
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 3
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 3
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Baetis Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Scirtidae Marsh Beetle 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Crangonyx Amphipod 1
Naididae Aquatic Worm 1
Ferrissia Small Air-Breathing Freshwater Limpets 1
Ephemerella Sulphur 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.