MBSS Site Summary for: PAXM-215-X-2006


Located on Galloway Creek in the Patuxent River middle watershed, 8-digit code: 02131102.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/20/2006 and again in the summer on 7/25/2006.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 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 941 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 11 %
Agricultural Land Use 32 %
Forested Land Use 57 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 10/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 7/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 60 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 23 meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Shading 75 %
Embeddedness 90 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 90%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 22.5 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.4 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.05
Conductivity 255 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		602.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.6372 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 12 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Eastern Mudminnow 78
Blacknose Dace 47
Green Sunfish 42
Tessellated Darter 21
Pumpkinseed 10
Bluegill 8
American Eel 6
Creek Chubsucker 3
Eastern Mosquitofish 2
Rosyside Dace 2
Fathead Minnow 1
White Sucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Box Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 52
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 12
Hydrobaenus Midge 7
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 7
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 5
Tipula Crane Fly 4
Musculium Fingernail Clam 2
Gammarus Amphipod 2
Ceratopogonidae Biting Midge 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 2
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 2
Limnodrilus Worm 2
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 1
Pisidiidae Pill Clam 1
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 1
Ancyronyx Spider Riffle Beetle 1
Boyeria Spotted Darner Dragonfly 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Stenelmis Beetle 1
Siphlonurus Gray Drake Mayfly 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.