MBSS Site Summary for: PATL-502-X-2011

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-502-X-2011-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-502-X-2011-2 (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 3/28/2011 and again in the summer on 7/11/2011.

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 Good - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 1.7 / 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 192,607 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 8.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 58.5 %
Forested Land Use 30.9 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 8/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 8/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 60 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 36 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 50 %
Embeddedness 30 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 8.03
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		872.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.765 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 23 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Swallowtail Shiner 107
White Sucker 74
Spottail Shiner 53
Redbreast Sunfish 50
Northern Hogsucker 38
Bluntnose Minnow 26
Tessellated Darter 22
Spotfin Shiner 21
River Chub 18
American Eel 17
Rock Bass 15
Yellow Bullhead 12
Satinfin Shiner 7
Smallmouth Bass 7
Common Shiner 5
Margined Madtom 4
Rosyface Shiner 4
Cutlip Minnow 3
Bluegill 2
Creek Chub 2
Green Sunfish 2
Blacknose Dace 1
Blue Ridge Sculpin 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Eastern Gartersnake
Northern Green Frog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Daylily
Empress Tree
English Ivy
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Knotweed
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Norway Maple
Oriental Bittersweet
Privet
Tree Of Heaven
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 49
Gammarus Amphipod 14
Hydrobaenus Midge 10
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 10
Orthocladiinae Midge 7
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 6
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 2
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 2
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Oecetis Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Corynoneura 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.