MBSS Site Summary for: PRMT-177-S-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PRMT-177-S-20140-MidpointUpstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PRMT-177-S-2014-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on REEDER RUN in the Potomac River M tidal watershed, 8-digit code: 02140102.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/1/2014 and again in the summer on 7/7/2014.

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 - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 5.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 272 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 13.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 2.9 %
Forested Land Use 75.9 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 50 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 26 meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Shading 70 %
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:
pH (lab) 6.07
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		56.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 4.9344 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 13 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Redbreast Sunfish 43
Eastern Mudminnow 30
American Eel 17
Creek Chubsucker 14
Blacknose Dace 12
Rosyside Dace 8
Least Brook Lamprey 3
Tessellated Darter 2
Creek Chub 1
Golden Shiner 1
Lepomis Hybrid 1
Margined Madtom 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Red-Eared Slider

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 32
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 10
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 9
Simulium Black Fly 8
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 7
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 6
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 5
Pseudolimnophila Crane Fly 5
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 4
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 4
Leuctridae Rolledwinged Stonefly 4
Centroptilum Small Minnow Mayfly 2
Boyeria Spotted Darner Dragonfly 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Stegopterna Black Fly 2
Gomphidae Clubtail Dragonfly 2
Hexatoma Crane Fly 1
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
Anchytarsus Beetle 1
Helichus Beetle 1
Ceratopogonidae Biting Midge 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Oxyethira Microcaddisfly 1
Unniella Non-Biting Midge 1
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 1
Dytiscidae Predaceous Diving Beetle 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.