MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-204-X-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-204-X-2016_midpoint looking downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-204-X-2016_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 3/3/2016 and again in the summer on 6/13/2016.

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 - 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 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 47 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 38 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 20 %
Embeddedness 25 %
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 346
Redbreast Sunfish 91
Banded Killifish 84
Common Shiner 80
Cutlip Minnow 63
American Eel 56
White Sucker 44
Longnose Dace 40
Central Stoneroller 37
Bluegill 30
Northern Hogsucker 21
Swallowtail Shiner 18
Green Sunfish 11
Bluntnose Minnow 6
Tessellated Darter 5
Yellow Bullhead 5
Blacknose Dace 4
Creek Chub 4
Largemouth Bass 4
Margined Madtom 2
Smallmouth Bass 2
Pumpkinseed 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Hydrilla Verticillata
Japanese Barberry
Multiflora Rose
Myriophyllum Spicatum
Oriental Bittersweet
Privet
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 50
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 22
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 14
Nanocladius Non-Biting Midges 4
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 3
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Corbicula Basket Clam 2
Ceratopogonidae Biting Midge 1
Prosimulium Black Fly 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Diamesa Bloodworm 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Musculium Fingernail Clam 1
Dugesiidae Flatworm 1
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Argia Narrow-Winged Damselfly 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Potthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Chaoboridae Phantom Midge 1
Elmidae Riffle Beetle 1
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Lumbriculidae Worm 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.