MBSS Site Summary for: PATL-510-X-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-510-X-2016_midpoint looking downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-510-X-2016_midpoint looking upstream (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 3/9/2016 and again in the summer on 7/26/2016.

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 - 2.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 177,785 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 18.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 40.2 %
Forested Land Use 37.2 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 70 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 90 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 30 %
Embeddedness 55 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 55%. 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 22 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Swallowtail Shiner 158
Blue Ridge Sculpin 152
River Chub 152
Northern Hogsucker 139
Bluntnose Minnow 120
Rosyface Shiner 76
Redbreast Sunfish 57
American Eel 46
Smallmouth Bass 45
Cutlip Minnow 37
Tessellated Darter 36
Common Shiner 26
Margined Madtom 26
White Sucker 15
Banded Killifish 12
Longnose Dace 11
Rock Bass 10
Sea Lamprey 2
Yellow Bullhead 2
Blacknose Dace 1
Central Stoneroller 1
Creek Chub 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Water Snake
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Hydrilla Verticillata
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Tree Of Heaven
Wavyleaf Basketgrass
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 22
Gammarus Amphipod 20
Leptoxis Freshwater Snail 15
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 13
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 6
Antocha Crane Fly 6
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 6
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 5
Glossosoma Little Black Caddisfly 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 4
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 3
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 2
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Corbicula Basket Clam 1
Prosimulium Black Fly 1
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Psephenus Water Penny 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Sympotthastia 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.