MBSS Site Summary for: PRMT-109-R-2004

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PRMT-109-R-2004-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PRMT-109-R-2004-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on POTOMAC R UT 25 in the Potomac River M tidal watershed, 8-digit code: 02140102.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/14/2004 and again in the summer on 6/21/2004.

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 - 4.7 / 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 823 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 5 %
Agricultural Land Use 28 %
Forested Land Use 63 %


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 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 60 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 24 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 92 %
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:
Water temperature 20.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.5 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.31
Conductivity 86 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		97.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 5.2 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 8 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Pumpkinseed 29
American Eel 10
Blacknose Dace 4
Creek Chubsucker 4
Eastern Mudminnow 3
Least Brook Lamprey 3
Chain Pickerel 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Box Turtle
Eastern Cricket Frog
Fowler's Toad
Gray Treefrog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Cambaridae

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 25
Simulium Black Fly 15
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 9
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 8
Eccoptura Yellow Stone Stonefly 7
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 7
Centroptilum Small Minnow Mayfly 6
Lumbriculidae Worm 4
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 4
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 4
Pycnopsyche Great Autumn Brown Sedge Caddisfly 3
Synurella Amphipod 2
Caecidotea Isopod 2
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 2
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 1
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 1
Cordulegaster Spiketail Dragonfly 1
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Dineutus Whirlygig Beetle 1
Xylotopus Midge 1
Lype Net Tube Caddisfly 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Paramerina Non-Biting Midge 1
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Anchytarsus Beetle 1
Hexatoma Crane Fly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 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.