MBSS Site Summary for: LOGU-202-R-2002

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site LOGU-202-R-2002-467 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site LOGU-202-R-2002-468 (Opens in a new window)

Located on COWEN RUN in the Lower Gunpowder Falls watershed, 8-digit code: 02130802.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/26/2002 and again in the summer on 6/11/2002.

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 Fair - 3.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 1,866 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 6 %
Agricultural Land Use 47 %
Forested Land Use 46 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 16/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 47 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 28 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 89 %
Embeddedness 51 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 51%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17.4 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.7 mg/L
pH (lab) 8.07
Conductivity 580 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		2508 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.8 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 14 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
American Eel 78
Tessellated Darter 75
Swallowtail Shiner 67
White Sucker 34
Longnose Dace 31
Creek Chub 30
Rosyside Dace 17
Blacknose Dace 14
Satinfin Shiner 14
Common Shiner 9
Sea Lamprey 9
Redbreast Sunfish 3
Banded Killifish 2
Least Brook Lamprey 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Northern Watersnake
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
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 23
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 18
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 15
Naididae Aquatic Worm 15
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 14
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 11
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 7
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 7
Orthocladiinae Midge 7
Crangonyx Amphipod 7
Cricotopus/Orthocladius Midge 4
Perlesta 3
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 3
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 2
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 2
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 2
Antocha Crane Fly 2
Eurylophella Mayfly 2
Cladotanytarsus Non-Biting Midge 1
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Diamesinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Diamesa Bloodworm 1
Hydropsychidae Common Netspinner Caddisfly 1
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Glossosomatidae Saddlecase Maker Caddisfly 1
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 1
Elmidae Riffle Beetle 1
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus 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.