MBSS Site Summary for: PATL-511-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-511-X-2017-MidpointLookingDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-511-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 6/26/2017.

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 - 3.7 / 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 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 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 46 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 57 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 35 %
Embeddedness 45 %
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 29 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Swallowtail Shiner 270
Bluntnose Minnow 219
Spottail Shiner 187
American Eel 144
Redbreast Sunfish 142
Blue Ridge Sculpin 103
Northern Hogsucker 71
Tessellated Darter 68
Cutlip Minnow 60
River Chub 51
Longnose Dace 48
Banded Killifish 33
Common Shiner 28
Central Stoneroller 25
Rock Bass 23
White Sucker 22
Margined Madtom 17
Shield Darter 16
Smallmouth Bass 15
Blacknose Dace 7
Bluegill 5
Rosyface Shiner 3
Creek Chub 2
Fathead Minnow 2
Yellow Bullhead 2
Fallfish 1
Green Sunfish 1
Satinfin Shiner
Spotfin Shiner
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Hydrilla Verticillata
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Norway Maple
Oriental Bittersweet
Tree Of Heaven
Wavyleaf Basketgrass
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 33
MACCAFFERTIUM March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 13
EUKIEFFERIELLA Non-Biting Midges 9
CHIMARRA Fingernet Caddisfly 8
HYDROPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
TVETENIA Non-Biting Midges 5
ORTHOCLADIINAE Midge 4
LEPIDOSTOMA Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 4
GAMMARUS Amphipod 4
NAIDIDAE Aquatic Worm 3
STROPHOPTERYX Early Brown Stonefly 3
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 3
PARAMETRIOCNEMUS Non-Biting Midges 2
ISONYCHIA Slate Drake Mayfly 2
EPHEMERELLIDAE Spiny Crawler Mayfly 2
AMPHINEMURA Spring Stonefly 2
EPHEMERELLA Sulphur Mayfly 2
HEPTAGENIIDAE Flathead Mayfly 2
CLINOCERA Aquatic Dance Fly 1
SIMULIUM Black Fly 1
DIAMESA Bloodworm 1
HYDROPSYCHIDAE Common Netspinner Caddisfly 1
PERLIDAE Common Stonefly 1
HYDROBAENUS Midge 1
CORYNONEURA Non-Biting Midges 1
CRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 1
RHEOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 1
SYMPOTTHASTIA Non-Biting Midges 1
OULIMNIUS Riffle Beetle 1
MICROTENDIPES 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.