MBSS Site Summary for: PATL-515-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-515-X-2017-MidpointLookingDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-515-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 3/2/2017 and again in the summer on 8/31/2017.

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 N R
Benthic IBI Poor - 1.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area No data available 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 7/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 9/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 0 meters 		0/20 (Poor)
Shading 35 %
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 1 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Common Snapping Turtle

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Lesser Celandine (Fig Buttercup)
Norway Maple
Oriental Bittersweet
Tree Of Heaven
Wavyleaf Basketgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
GAMMARUS Amphipod 37
TUBIFICIDAE Aquatic Worm 21
HYDROBAENUS Midge 7
ORTHOCLADIINAE Midge 6
CHIRONOMUS Non-Biting Midges 5
PHYSA Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 4
POLYPEDILUM Non-Biting Midges 4
PISIDIIDAE Pill Clam 3
DICROTENDIPES Non-Biting Midges 2
GIRARDIA Freshwater Flatworm 2
NAIDIDAE Aquatic Worm 2
CHIRONOMINI Non-Biting Midge 2
PROCLADIUS Non-Biting Midge 2
CHAETOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 1
CRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 1
ARGIA Narrow-Winged Damselfly 1
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
MACCAFFERTIUM March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
CRANGONYX Amphipod 1
SYNORTHOCLADIUS 1
MENETUS Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
STAGNICOLA Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
MICROPSECTRA Non-Biting Midges 1
MICROTENDIPES Non-Biting Midges 1
TANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 1
TVETENIA 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.