MBSS Site Summary for: NCRW-115-N-2004


Located on MONOCACY R UT 2 in the Lower Monocacy River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140302.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/2/2004 and again in the summer on 6/22/2004.

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 - 2.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,107 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 11 %
Agricultural Land Use 69 %
Forested Land Use 18 %


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 8/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 49 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 31 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 19.3 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.5 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.56
Conductivity 280 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		648.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.5 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 8 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 163
Green Sunfish 21
Bluntnose Minnow 10
Longnose Dace 8
Yellow Bullhead 2
Fantail Darter 1
Potomac Sculpin 1
Redbreast Sunfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 40
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 16
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 11
Stenelmis Beetle 5
Diamesa Bloodworm 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 3
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 2
Eurylophella Mayfly 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 2
Hydroporus Water Beetle 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Capniidae Small Winter Stonefly 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Stygobromus Amphipod 1
Pseudolimnophila Crane Fly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Chrysops Deerfly 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.