MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-201-X-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-201-X-2014-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-201-X-2014-2 (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 4/22/2014 and again in the summer on 8/15/2014.

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 Poor - 2.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 7,895 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 18.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 50.6 %
Forested Land Use 26.3 %


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 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 35 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 50 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Shading 10 %
Embeddedness 35 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.64
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		535.95 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2.0498 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 18 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 121
Common Shiner 59
Redbreast Sunfish 39
Cutlip Minnow 33
Longnose Dace 30
Swallowtail Shiner 28
Central Stoneroller 23
American Eel 19
Blacknose Dace 14
Margined Madtom 12
Northern Hogsucker 12
Tessellated Darter 11
Bluntnose Minnow 8
White Sucker 7
Banded Killifish 5
Creek Chub 2
Fathead Minnow 1
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Callery Pear
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 34
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 15
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 12
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 9
Hydrobaenus Midge 7
Coenagrionidae Narrowwinged Damselfly 6
Orthocladiinae Midge 3
Simulium Black Fly 2
Pisidium Freshwater Pea (Pill) Clam 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 2
Cardiocladius Non-Biting Midge 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Acentrella Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Microcylloepus Riffle Beetle 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 1
Baetidae Small Minnow Mayfly 1
Potthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Hydroptila Microcaddisfly 1
Celina 1
Stygobromus Amphipod 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.