MBSS Site Summary for: PRMO-222-R-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PRMO-222-R-2016-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PRMO-222-R-2016-MidpointUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Watt's Branch in the Potomac River MO Cnty watershed, 8-digit code: 02140202.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/8/2016 and again in the summer on 7/21/2016.

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 Good - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.3 / 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 6,892 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 73.4 %
Agricultural Land Use 1.5 %
Forested Land Use 22.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 61 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 20 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Shading 45 %
Embeddedness 60 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 60%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 8.2
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		1090.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.9184 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 24 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Bluntnose Minnow 94
Central Stoneroller 70
Longnose Dace 61
Blacknose Dace 52
Fantail Darter 47
Green Sunfish 44
Creek Chub 26
Redbreast Sunfish 26
Silverjaw Minnow 23
Bluegill 19
White Sucker 17
Yellow Bullhead 9
Potomac Sculpin 7
Northern Hogsucker 6
Cutlip Minnow 5
Swallowtail Shiner 5
Common Shiner 4
Rosyside Dace 4
Tessellated Darter 4
Blue Ridge Sculpin 3
American Eel 2
Largemouth Bass 2
Greenside Darter 1
Smallmouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern American Toad
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Knotweed
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Wavyleaf Basketgrass
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 15
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 9
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 8
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 8
Calopteryx Damselfly 8
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 6
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 5
Parakiefferiella European Non-Biting Midge 5
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 5
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 4
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 4
Xylotopus Midge 3
Coenagrionidae Narrowwinged Damselfly 3
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 2
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 2
Crangonyx Amphipod 2
Gammarus Amphipod 2
Stenelmis Beetle 2
Ancyronyx Spider Riffle Beetle 2
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 2
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Boyeria Spotted Darner Dragonfly 1
Psychomyia Trumpet-Net Caddisfly 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 1
Gomphus Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Peltodytes Crawling Water Beetle 1
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Neoplasta 1
Somatochlora 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.