MBSS Site Summary for: PATL-106-X-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-106-X-2014-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-106-X-2014-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on SUCKER BRANCH in the Patapsco River L N Br watershed, 8-digit code: 02130906.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/5/2014 and again in the summer on 8/14/2014.

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 - 2.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,844 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 73.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 0 %
Forested Land Use 24.7 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 10/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 27 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 53 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 75 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 75%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
No water quality measurements available for this site.

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 19 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 63
Longnose Dace 61
Blacknose Dace 39
Blue Ridge Sculpin 19
American Eel 12
Cutlip Minnow 8
River Chub 8
Central Stoneroller 7
Rosyside Dace 7
Bluegill 5
Satinfin Shiner 5
White Sucker 5
Common Shiner 4
Margined Madtom 3
Smallmouth Bass 3
Bluntnose Minnow 1
Brown Trout 1
Pumpkinseed 1
Swallowtail Shiner 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
No amphibians and reptiles noted.

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
English Ivy
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Vinca Vine
Wavyleaf Basketgrass
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 25
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 20
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 14
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 11
Antocha Crane Fly 8
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 8
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 7
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 4
Dolophilodes Medium Evening Sedge Caddisfly 3
Tipula Crane Fly 3
Glossosoma Little Black Caddisfly 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Limonia 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Diamesa Bloodworm 1
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 1
Diptera True Fly 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheotanytarsus 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.