MBSS Site Summary for: PAXM-109-R-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PAXM-109-R-2015_Midpoint-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PAXM-109-R-2015_Midpoint-looking-upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on DISTRICT BRANCH in the Patuxent River middle watershed, 8-digit code: 02131102.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/30/2015 and again in the summer on 7/23/2015.

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 Good - 5.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,308 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 11.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 24.4 %
Forested Land Use 59.2 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 5/20 (Poor)
Epifaunal Substrate 4/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 6/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 10 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 65 meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Shading 70 %
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:
pH (lab) 7.3
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		400.9594 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.6353 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 10 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Tessellated Darter 16
American Eel 11
Green Sunfish 9
Blacknose Dace 5
Least Brook Lamprey 4
Creek Chubsucker 1
Eastern Mosquitofish 1
Redfin Pickerel 1
Rosyside Dace 1
Sea Lamprey 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Box Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Pickerel Frog
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 20
Gammarus Amphipod 12
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 8
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 5
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 5
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Tipula Crane Fly 4
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 4
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 4
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Synurella Amphipod 3
Caecidotea Isopod 2
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
Pseudolimnophila Crane Fly 2
Lype Net Tube Caddisfly 2
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Boyeria Spotted Darner Dragonfly 2
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 2
Dineutus Whirlygig Beetle 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 1
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Chrysops Deerfly 1
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Limnophyes Non-Biting Midge 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Xylotopus Midge 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Ceratopogon Biting Midge 1
Prosimulium Black Fly 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.