MBSS Site Summary for: PATL-516-X-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-516-X-2015_midpoint-looking-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PATL-516-X-2015_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 3/30/2015 and again in the summer on 8/10/2015.

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 - 3.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 194,092 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 37.7 %


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 18/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 30 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 55 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 30 %
Embeddedness 50 %
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 26 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
River Chub 164
American Eel 138
Satinfin Shiner 53
White Sucker 45
Swallowtail Shiner 30
Rosyface Shiner 29
Cutlip Minnow 27
Northern Hogsucker 27
Spottail Shiner 26
Redbreast Sunfish 25
Common Shiner 24
Spotfin Shiner 22
Longnose Dace 21
Bluegill 18
Bluntnose Minnow 16
Tessellated Darter 9
Smallmouth Bass 8
Blue Ridge Sculpin 7
Central Stoneroller 7
Margined Madtom 7
Green Sunfish 6
Black Crappie 5
Yellow Bullhead 2
Fallfish 1
Rock Bass 1
Striped Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Northern Water Snake

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Knotweed
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Gammarus Amphipod 62
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 11
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 9
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 4
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 4
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 3
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 2
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Heterocloeon 1
Leucotrichia 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 1
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 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.