MBSS Site Summary for: PAXM-216-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 7/5/2006.

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 - 3.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 819 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 10/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 45 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 38 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 80 %
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 22.3 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 8.05
Conductivity 253 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		548 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.7968 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
Blacknose Dace 131
Tessellated Darter 17
Green Sunfish 15
Eastern Mudminnow 11
American Eel 8
Rosyside Dace 4
Bluegill 2
Least Brook Lamprey 2
Lepomis Hybrid 2
Eastern Mosquitofish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
No amphibians and reptiles noted.

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Tree Of Heaven
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 25
Gammarus Amphipod 14
Diamesa Bloodworm 14
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 13
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 11
Haploperla Green Stonefly 5
Hydrobaenus Midge 4
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 4
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 4
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Stenelmis Beetle 3
Stegopterna Black Fly 2
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Paracladopelma Non-Biting Midge 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 1
Limnodrilus 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.