MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-201-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-201-X-2017-MidpointFacingDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-201-X-2017-MidpointFacingUpstream (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 3/10/2017 and again in the summer on 6/8/2017.

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 7,895 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 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 12 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 63 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 15 %
Embeddedness 20 %


Stream Water Quality:
No water quality measurements available for this site.

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 21 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 179
Banded Killifish 120
Common Shiner 114
Redbreast Sunfish 95
Blacknose Dace 80
Cutlip Minnow 64
Swallowtail Shiner 53
Longnose Dace 49
Satinfin Shiner 48
Central Stoneroller 37
American Eel 31
Spotfin Shiner 29
White Sucker 25
Margined Madtom 17
Northern Hogsucker 17
Rosyside Dace 13
Tessellated Darter 12
Bluegill 7
Creek Chub 5
Yellow Bullhead 5
Brown Trout 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
RHEOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 70
PARATANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 40
SUBLETTEA 29
HYDROPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 8
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 6
TVETENIA Non-Biting Midges 6
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 4
OPTIOSERVUS Riffle Beetle 4
ORTHOCLADIINAE Midge 3
CARDIOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midge 2
ANTOCHA Crane Fly 2
OULIMNIUS Riffle Beetle 2
THIENEMANNIMYIA GROUP Non-Biting Midges 2
MICROCYLLOEPUS Riffle Beetle 2
TANYTARSINI Non-Biting Midges 1
PROMORESIA Riffle Beetle 1
PROSTOIA Spring Stonefly 1
STROPHOPTERYX Early Brown Stonefly 1
DICRANOTA Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
LEPTOCERIDAE Longhorned Casemaker Caddisfly 1
CLINOCERA Aquatic Dance Fly 1
CORBICULA Basket Clam 1
SIMULIUM Black Fly 1
PSEUDORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 1
ARGIA Narrow-Winged Damselfly 1
BEROSUS 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.