MBSS Site Summary for: PAXL-294-S-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PAXL-294-S-2016-MidpointPDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PAXL-294-S-2016-MidpointPUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Swanson Creek in the Patuxent River lower watershed, 8-digit code: 02131101.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/28/2016 and again in the summer on 6/13/2016.

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 Good - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 5.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 470 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 9.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 19.1 %
Forested Land Use 68 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 42 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 36 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 60 %
Embeddedness 55 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 55%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.16
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		204.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.8875 mg/L

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
Blacknose Dace 88
Rosyside Dace 30
Sea Lamprey 27
Least Brook Lamprey 20
Tessellated Darter 14
Creek Chubsucker 11
Fallfish 7
Pumpkinseed 2
American Eel 1
Eastern Mudminnow 1
Tadpole Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Spring Peeper
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 27
Haploperla Green Stonefly 13
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 8
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 8
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 7
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 6
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 6
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 3
Neophylax Caddisfly 3
Hydrobaenus Midge 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 2
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Neoporous Predaceous Diving Beetle 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 1
Gammarus Amphipod 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 1
Cladotanytarsus Non-Biting Midge 1
Odontomesa Non-Biting Midge 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 1
Gomphus Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Hexatoma Crane Fly 1
Pseudolimnophila Crane Fly 1
Calopteryx Damselfly 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.