MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-201-X-2013

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-201-X-2013-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-201-X-2013-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on PINEY RUN in the S Branch Patapsco watershed, 8-digit code: 02130908.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/5/2013 and again in the summer on 9/12/2013.

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 Poor - 2.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 7,920 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 14.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 54.1 %
Forested Land Use 26.6 %


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 = 47 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 43 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 10 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.41
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		557.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.0079 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 20 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 299
Common Shiner 162
Redbreast Sunfish 131
Longnose Dace 122
Swallowtail Shiner 105
Central Stoneroller 81
Bluntnose Minnow 65
Cutlip Minnow 65
Blacknose Dace 60
Northern Hogsucker 34
Tessellated Darter 32
Yellow Bullhead 29
Banded Killifish 18
Creek Chub 18
White Sucker 18
American Eel 11
Rosyside Dace 9
Margined Madtom 7
Bluegill 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Mile-A-Minute
Oriental Bittersweet
Shrub Honeysuckle
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 40
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 21
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 11
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 7
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 6
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 5
Hydrobaenus Midge 5
NEMOURIDAE Nemourid Stonefly 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 4
Potthastia Non-Biting Midges 3
Chaoborus 3
Synorthocladius 2
Corbicula Basket Clam 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 2
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Hydrochus 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Argia Narrow-Winged Damselfly 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.