MBSS Site Summary for: LPAX-294-X-2011


Located on RED HILL BRANCH in the Little Patuxent River watershed, 8-digit code: 02131105.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/26/2011 and again in the summer on 8/11/2011.

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 Poor - 2.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 1.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,144 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 74.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 4.7 %
Forested Land Use 17.8 %


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 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 9/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 56 meters 		10/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 19 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Shading 95 %
Embeddedness 20 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.6
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		1739.4 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.0282 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 9 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 69
Blacknose Dace 44
Longnose Dace 43
Green Sunfish 34
Tessellated Darter 14
Rosyside Dace 10
Swallowtail Shiner 10
White Sucker 6
American Eel 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 52
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 9
Orthocladiinae Midge 7
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 6
Antocha Crane Fly 5
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 4
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Calopteryx Damselfly 3
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 2
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 2
Probezzia Biting Midges 1
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Ormosia Cranefly 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
EMPIDIDAE Dance Fly 1
Paratendipes European Non-Biting Midge 1
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 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.