MBSS Site Summary for: PATL-504-X-2013

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-504-X-2013-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-504-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 3/5/2013 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 Fair - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 191,256 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 %
Agricultural Land Use 58.8 %
Forested Land Use 30.8 %


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 = 69 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 75 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 60 %
Embeddedness 15 %
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 27 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Redbreast Sunfish 228
River Chub 228
White Sucker 111
American Eel 64
Rosyface Shiner 53
Tessellated Darter 45
Northern Hogsucker 39
Margined Madtom 34
Common Shiner 21
Smallmouth Bass 20
Cutlip Minnow 19
Bluegill 16
Spotfin Shiner 16
Blacknose Dace 13
Blue Ridge Sculpin 13
Bluntnose Minnow 13
Spottail Shiner 13
Creek Chub 11
Green Sunfish 9
Satinfin Shiner 7
Longnose Dace 5
Rock Bass 3
Central Stoneroller 2
Largemouth Bass 2
Swallowtail Shiner 2
Yellow Bullhead 2
Fathead Minnow 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Oriental Bittersweet
Wavyleaf Basketgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Gammarus Amphipod 24
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 24
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 14
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 13
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 12
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 7
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 5
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 4
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 4
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Microcylloepus Riffle Beetle 2
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 2
Ancyronyx Spider Riffle Beetle 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
LUMBRICULIDAE Worm 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.