MBSS Site Summary for: PATL-511-X-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-511-X-2014-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-511-X-2014-2 (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 3/20/2014 and again in the summer on 8/21/2014.

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 Poor - 2.3 / 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 166,012 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 18.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 41.2 %
Forested Land Use 36.4 %


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 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 43 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 47 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 25 %
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 24 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Spotfin Shiner 145
American Eel 141
Redbreast Sunfish 73
Blue Ridge Sculpin 55
River Chub 45
Cutlip Minnow 30
Central Stoneroller 28
Bluegill 24
Smallmouth Bass 17
Margined Madtom 14
Northern Hogsucker 12
Rock Bass 9
Tessellated Darter 7
Green Sunfish 5
Longnose Dace 5
Spottail Shiner 5
Swallowtail Shiner 5
White Sucker 5
Bluntnose Minnow 4
Common Shiner 4
Satinfin Shiner 4
Creek Chub 3
Rosyface Shiner 3
Yellow Bullhead 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Water Snake

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Vinca Vine
Wavyleaf Basketgrass
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 53
Gammarus Amphipod 10
Orthocladiinae Midge 10
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Corbicula Basket Clam 5
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 4
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 3
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 3
Parakiefferiella European Non-Biting Midge 3
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 3
Hydrobaenus Midge 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 2
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 2
Leptoxis Freshwater Snail 2
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 2
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Haplotaxidae Aquatic Oligochaetes 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown 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.