MBSS Site Summary for: PATL-502-X-2013

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-502-X-2013-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-502-X-2013-2 (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 3/4/2013 and again in the summer on 8/19/2013.

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 Fair - 3.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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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 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 18/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 40 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 58 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Shading 40 %
Embeddedness 20 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


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 21 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
River Chub 303
Rosyface Shiner 204
Common Shiner 108
Redbreast Sunfish 71
Tessellated Darter 57
Spottail Shiner 38
American Eel 33
Northern Hogsucker 33
Blacknose Dace 27
Spotfin Shiner 20
Swallowtail Shiner 20
Longnose Dace 16
Margined Madtom 14
Satinfin Shiner 14
Cutlip Minnow 9
Blue Ridge Sculpin 7
Creek Chub 5
Bluntnose Minnow 3
Smallmouth Bass 2
Central Stoneroller 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
No amphibians and reptiles noted.

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 47
Gammarus Amphipod 40
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 6
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 6
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Corydalus Dobsonfly 1
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Corbicula Basket Clam 1
LUMBRICULIDAE Worm 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 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.