MBSS Site Summary for: PRUT-103-B-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site PRUT-103-B-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site PRUT-103-B-2007-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Potomac River UT32 UT1 in the Potomac River U tidal watershed, 8-digit code: 02140201.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/9/2007 and again in the summer on 7/9/2007.

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 Poor - 1.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 1.9 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 113 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 24.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 23.6 %
Forested Land Use 49.6 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 6/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 7/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 56 meters 		8/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 23 meters 		7/20 (Marginal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 75 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 75%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 27.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 4.3 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (4.3 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
pH (lab) 6.47
Conductivity 102 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		260.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 3.0968 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 4 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Creek Chub 202
Blacknose Dace 48
Green Sunfish 7
American Eel 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Dusky Salamander
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Northern Watersnake
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Cambarus diogenes

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Naididae Aquatic Worm 71
Isotomidae Springtail 12
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 4
Haplotaxidae Aquatic Oligochaetes 3
Bezzia Biting Midge 2
Caecidotea Isopod 2
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 2
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Fossaria Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 1
Leuctridae Rolledwinged Stonefly 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.