MBSS Site Summary for: PATL-501-X-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-501-X-2014-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-501-X-2014-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on PATAPSCO RIVER in the Patapsco River L N Br watershed, 8-digit code: 02130906.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/16/2014 and again in the summer on 8/22/2014.

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 195,371 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 21.4 %
Agricultural Land Use 37 %
Forested Land Use 37.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 6/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 5/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 51 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 24 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 25 %
Embeddedness 85 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 85%. 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 25 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
American Eel 113
Redbreast Sunfish 47
Spotfin Shiner 40
Common Shiner 38
Spottail Shiner 31
Northern Hogsucker 26
Smallmouth Bass 23
Swallowtail Shiner 17
Satinfin Shiner 16
Fallfish 14
Margined Madtom 11
White Sucker 11
River Chub 8
Bluegill 7
Sea Lamprey 6
Tessellated Darter 6
Bluntnose Minnow 5
Rock Bass 5
Rosyface Shiner 3
Yellow Bullhead 2
Banded Killifish 1
Blue Ridge Sculpin 1
Cutlip Minnow 1
Green Sunfish 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Water Snake

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Wavyleaf Basketgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 39
Gammarus Amphipod 25
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 8
Hydrobaenus Midge 6
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Stenelmis Beetle 4
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 2
Parakiefferiella European Non-Biting Midge 2
Synorthocladius 2
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 2
Corbicula Basket Clam 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Psephenus Water Penny 1
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Cryptochironomus Non-Biting Midges 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Robackia European Non-Biting Midge 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Corydalus Dobsonfly 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.