MBSS Site Summary for: PATL-515-X-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-515-X-2016_midpoint looking downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-515-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 3/22/2016 and again in the summer on 9/27/2016.

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 Fair - 3.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 193,779 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 21.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 37.3 %
Forested Land Use 37.6 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 9/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 7/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 25 %
Embeddedness 100 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 100%. This is very high, and may adversely affect biotic communities.


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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Redbreast Sunfish 193
Swallowtail Shiner 127
Bluntnose Minnow 16
American Eel 6
Green Sunfish 4
Banded Killifish 3
Rock Bass 3
Bluegill 2
Tessellated Darter 2
Margined Madtom 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Knotweed
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Gammarus Amphipod 44
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 11
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 9
Hydrobaenus Midge 8
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 7
Pisidium Freshwater Pea (Pill) Clam 5
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 3
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Oecetis Long-Horned Caddisfly 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Psectrocladius Non-Biting Midge 2
Paratendipes European Non-Biting Midge 1
Hexagenia 1
Synorthocladius 1
Caecidotea Isopod 1
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Microcylloepus Riffle Beetle 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.