MBSS Site Summary for: RKGR-119-S-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site RKGR-119-S-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site RKGR-119-S-2007-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Patuxent River UT5 in the Rocky Gorge Dam watershed, 8-digit code: 02131107.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/10/2007 and again in the summer on 7/17/2007.

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 Good - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 670 acres Cows standing in a stream at a site with high agricultural land use. Cows survey the sampling procedure at this extreme example of a highly agriculturalized site.
Urban Land Use 4.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 58.1 %
Forested Land Use 35 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 17/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 17/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 37 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 38 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 95 %
Embeddedness 35 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 21.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.8 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.89
Conductivity 208 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		971.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.7561 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 7 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 67
Blacknose Dace 42
Rosyside Dace 14
Longnose Dace 5
White Sucker 3
Tessellated Darter 2
Fallfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 35
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 23
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 10
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 5
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 5
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 4
Simuliidae Black Fly 3
Simulium Black Fly 2
Philopotamidae Fingernet Caddisfly 2
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Girardia Freshwater Flatworm 1
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Diamesa Bloodworm 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Empididae Dance Fly 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.