MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-203-R-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-203-R-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-203-R-2007-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on South Branch Patapsco River in the S Branch Patapsco watershed, 8-digit code: 02130908.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/2/2007 and again in the summer on 8/1/2007.

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 - 5.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 1.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 4,484 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 16 %
Agricultural Land Use 55.1 %
Forested Land Use 27.3 %


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 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 62 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 33 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 35 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 22 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.6 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.63
Conductivity 421 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		788.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.9898 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 15 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 1046
Central Stoneroller 776
Blacknose Dace 266
Longnose Dace 218
White Sucker 159
Rosyside Dace 89
Swallowtail Shiner 35
Common Shiner 19
Cutlip Minnow 19
Largemouth Bass 12
Tessellated Darter 11
Creek Chub 5
Brown Trout 4
Green Sunfish 1
Northern Hogsucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Long-Tailed Salamander
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Diamesa Bloodworm 70
Hydrobaenus Midge 26
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 4
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 3
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 3
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Lumbriculidae Worm 2
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 2
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Prosimulium Black Fly 1
Baetidae Small Minnow Mayfly 1
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 1
Chironomidae Non-Biting Midge 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Haploperla Green 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.