MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-204-X-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-204-X-2015_Midpoint-looking-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-204-X-2015_Midpoint-looking-upstream (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 3/19/2015 and again in the summer on 6/25/2015.

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 Poor - 2.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 7,479 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 16.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 50.7 %
Forested Land Use 27.4 %


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 18/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 28 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 58 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 35 %
Embeddedness 45 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


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 22 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 100
Redbreast Sunfish 77
American Eel 72
Common Shiner 62
Satinfin Shiner 36
Longnose Dace 32
Swallowtail Shiner 29
Cutlip Minnow 27
Central Stoneroller 19
Bluegill 18
White Sucker 15
Yellow Bullhead 13
Banded Killifish 8
Tessellated Darter 7
Pumpkinseed 6
Blacknose Dace 5
Northern Hogsucker 5
Creek Chub 2
Bluntnose Minnow 1
Green Sunfish 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Margined Madtom 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Privet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 28
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 21
Psectrocladius Non-Biting Midge 17
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 6
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Antocha Crane Fly 4
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 4
Simulium Black Fly 3
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 3
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 3
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 2
Neoplasta 2
Neureclipsis 2
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 2
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 2
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 1
Synorthocladius 1
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Parakiefferiella European Non-Biting Midge 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Wormaldia Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Argia Narrow-Winged Damselfly 1
Prosimulium Black Fly 1
Limnophyes Non-Biting Midge 1
Nanocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 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.