MBSS Site Summary for: PATL-510-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-510-X-2017-MidpointLookingDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-510-X-2017-MidpointLookingUpstream (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 3/6/2017 and again in the summer on 6/20/2017.

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 Fair - 3.0 / 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 37.3 %


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 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 39 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 75 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Shading 40 %
Embeddedness 30 %


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
Swallowtail Shiner 312
Bluntnose Minnow 163
Banded Killifish 130
Redbreast Sunfish 122
American Eel 64
Tessellated Darter 56
Northern Hogsucker 47
Blue Ridge Sculpin 35
River Chub 34
Longnose Dace 27
Smallmouth Bass 27
Spottail Shiner 21
Central Stoneroller 17
White Sucker 14
Sea Lamprey 13
Rosyface Shiner 12
Rock Bass 9
Cutlip Minnow 8
Common Shiner 7
Margined Madtom 7
Shield Darter 7
Brown Trout 5
Yellow Bullhead 3
Blacknose Dace 2
Pumpkinseed 1
Satinfin Shiner
Spotfin Shiner
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Hydrilla Verticillata
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Oriental Bittersweet
Wavyleaf Basketgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 21
CRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 14
EUKIEFFERIELLA Non-Biting Midges 14
CHIMARRA Fingernet Caddisfly 12
HYDROPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 9
MACCAFFERTIUM March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 8
ORTHOCLADIINAE Midge 5
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 5
TVETENIA Non-Biting Midges 4
TELOGANOPSIS Mayfly 4
NEMATODA Nematode 3
LEPIDOSTOMA Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 3
LEPTOXIS Freshwater Snail 2
PROSIMULIUM Black Fly 2
SIMULIUM Black Fly 2
GAMMARUS Amphipod 2
ANTOCHA Crane Fly 2
STROPHOPTERYX Early Brown Stonefly 1
NAIDIDAE Aquatic Worm 1
DIAMESA Bloodworm 1
PERLIDAE Common Stonefly 1
SYNORTHOCLADIUS 1
GIRARDIA Freshwater Flatworm 1
PROSTOMA Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
PSYCHOMYIA Trumpet-Net Caddisfly 1
PSEPHENUS Water Penny 1
RHEOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 1
MICROTENDIPES Non-Biting Midges 1
DICROTENDIPES 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.