MBSS Site Summary for: PRMT-177-S-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PRMT-177-S-2016-MidpointBridgeDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PRMT-177-S-2016-MidpointBridgeUpstream (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 3/30/2016 and again in the summer on 6/16/2016.

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 - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.1 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 2,329 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 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 16/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 43 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 32 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 35 %
Embeddedness 55 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 55%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.38
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		135.9 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.9417 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 10 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chubsucker 40
Blacknose Dace 35
Rosyside Dace 35
Creek Chub 30
Redbreast Sunfish 30
Least Brook Lamprey 15
Tessellated Darter 13
American Eel 9
Eastern Mudminnow 3
Fallfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Eastern American Toad
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 34
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 26
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 21
Simulium Black Fly 7
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 7
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 6
Leuctridae Rolledwinged Stonefly 6
Orthocladiinae Midge 5
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 4
Probezzia Biting Midges 3
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
Psectrocladius Non-Biting Midge 2
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 2
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Ancyronyx Spider Riffle Beetle 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Stempellinella 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.