MBSS Site Summary for: PRFR-204-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PRFR-204-X-2017-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PRFR-204-X-2017-MidpointUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Little Catoctin Creek in the Potomac River FR Cnty watershed, 8-digit code: 02140301.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/27/2017 and again in the summer on 8/24/2017.

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 - 1.8 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 2,603 acres Cows standing in a stream at a site with high agricultural land use. Cows survey the sampling procedure at this extreme example of a highly agriculturalized site.
Urban Land Use 5.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 68.4 %
Forested Land Use 24.2 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 44 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 33 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 35 %
Embeddedness 25 %


Stream Water Quality:
No water quality measurements available for this site.

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 13 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Bluntnose Minnow 114
Blacknose Dace 42
Green Sunfish 42
Longnose Dace 39
Yellow Bullhead 38
Creek Chub 18
Bluegill 12
Redbreast Sunfish 12
Central Stoneroller 10
Common Shiner 6
Largemouth Bass 6
Nocomis Sp. 3
Rosyside Dace 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Painted Turtle
Eastern Snapping Turtle

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

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

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 75
NAIDIDAE Aquatic Worm 18
THIENEMANNIMYIA GROUP Non-Biting Midges 9
TANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 5
POLYPEDILUM Non-Biting Midges 4
TUBIFICIDAE Aquatic Worm 4
ORTHOCLADIINAE Midge 3
PARATANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 2
RHEOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 2
POTTHASTIA Non-Biting Midges 1
RHEOCRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 1
PISIDIIDAE Pill Clam 1
DIAMESINAE Non-Biting Midges 1
DICROTENDIPES Non-Biting Midges 1
STENELMIS Beetle 1
PROSIMULIUM Black Fly 1
DUGESIIDAE Flatworm 1
TABANIDAE Horse 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.