MBSS Site Summary for: LOCH-124-R-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LOCH-124-R-2016_midpoint looking downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LOCH-124-R-2016_midpoint looking upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on UT to Carroll Branch in the Loch Raven Reservoir watershed, 8-digit code: 02130805.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/22/2016 and again in the summer on 6/21/2016.

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 - 2.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 144 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 5.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 69.4 %
Forested Land Use 23.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 10/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 8/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 7/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 23 meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 52 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Shading 80 %
Embeddedness 30 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.85
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		1292.1 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.7838 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 5 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 133
Blacknose Dace 63
Longnose Dace 4
Bluegill 3
Brown Trout 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Daylily
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Privet
Shrub Honeysuckle
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Stenelmis Beetle 43
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 20
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 13
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 12
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 6
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 5
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 5
Neophylax Caddisfly 4
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 3
Diamesa Bloodworm 2
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 2
Tipulidae Cranefly 1
Probezzia Biting Midges 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsus 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.