MBSS Site Summary for: LOCH-311-R-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LOCH-311-R-2016_midpoint looking downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LOCH-311-R-2016_midpoint looking upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Little Falls in the Loch Raven Reservoir watershed, 8-digit code: 02130805.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/2/2016 and again in the summer on 8/24/2016.

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 Good - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 5,990 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 8.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 64.5 %
Forested Land Use 24.1 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 51 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 27 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 53 %
Embeddedness 25 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.3
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		339.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.8779 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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Rosyside Dace 265
Blacknose Dace 176
White Sucker 95
Cutlip Minnow 55
Creek Chub 47
Tessellated Darter 36
Northern Hogsucker 23
Longnose Dace 19
Brown Trout 15
Common Shiner 4
Margined Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
No amphibians and reptiles noted.

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

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

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 30
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 15
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 12
Antocha Crane Fly 12
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 10
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 8
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 8
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 3
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Pseudorthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Baetis Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 1
Helichus Beetle 1
Epeorus Mayfly 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Pycnopsyche Great Autumn Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 1
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 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.