MBSS Site Summary for: PATL-516-X-2013

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-516-X-2013-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-516-X-2013-2 (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 3/4/2013 and again in the summer on 7/31/2013.

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 Good - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.3 / 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 194,092 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 19.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 38.8 %
Forested Land Use 38.3 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 21 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 75 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 20 %
Embeddedness 20 %


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 30 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
American Eel 317
River Chub 228
Satinfin Shiner 127
Swallowtail Shiner 115
Spotfin Shiner 83
Redbreast Sunfish 59
White Sucker 37
Northern Hogsucker 36
Longnose Dace 32
Tessellated Darter 31
Bluegill 30
Spottail Shiner 23
Central Stoneroller 19
Common Shiner 19
Cutlip Minnow 12
Fallfish 10
Margined Madtom 10
Green Sunfish 9
Blacknose Dace 6
Yellow Bullhead 6
Rock Bass 5
Blue Ridge Sculpin 4
Bluntnose Minnow 4
Striped Bass 4
Sea Lamprey 3
Banded Killifish 2
Yellow Perch 2
Brown Bullhead 1
Rosyface Shiner 1
Smallmouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Northern Water Snake

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 68
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 7
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 5
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Psephenus Water Penny 4
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 4
Gammarus Amphipod 3
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Promoresia Riffle Beetle 2
EPHEMERELLIDAE Spiny Crawler Mayfly 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Taeniopteryx Winter Stonefly 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 1
Oulimnius 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.