MBSS Site Summary for: PG-N-117-329-97


Located on NORTHWEST BR in the Anacostia River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140205.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/12/1997 and again in the summer on 7/8/1997.

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 - 3.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 19,459 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 29.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 29.5 %
Forested Land Use 40.3 %


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 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality 16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 30 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 23 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 6.9 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.48
Conductivity 202 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		889.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.9 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
Blacknose Dace 131
Longnose Dace 97
Cutlip Minnow 52
American Eel 40
Tessellated Darter 40
Swallowtail Shiner 13
Northern Hogsucker 6
Satinfin Shiner 6
Redbreast Sunfish 5
Bluntnose Minnow 3
Creek Chub 3
Spotfin Shiner 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Naididae Aquatic Worm 55
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 13
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 13
Cardiocladius Non-Biting Midge 2
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 2
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Ferrissia Small Air-Breathing Freshwater Limpets 1
Lumbriculidae 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.