MBSS Site Summary for: PAXM-112-X-2006


Located on Swan Point Creek UT1 in the Patuxent River middle watershed, 8-digit code: 02131102.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/22/2006 and again in the summer on 7/19/2006.

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 Poor - 1.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.4 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 335 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 1 %
Agricultural Land Use 30 %
Forested Land Use 69 %


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 7/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 6/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 44 meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 31 meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 80 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 80%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 22.1 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.9 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.94
Conductivity 176 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		262.1 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.1535 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 2 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 27
Eastern Mudminnow 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 23
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 18
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 12
Hydrobaenus Midge 7
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 5
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 5
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 4
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 3
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 3
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 3
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 2
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 2
Helichus Beetle 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 2
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Chrysops Deerfly 1
Heterotrissocladius European Non-Biting Midge 1
Siphlonurus Gray Drake Mayfly 1
Clioperla Green-Winged Stonefly 1
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 1
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Boyeria Spotted Darner Dragonfly 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Naididae Aquatic Worm 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.