MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-205-X-2016

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-205-X-2016_midpoint looking downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-205-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 3/4/2016 and again in the summer on 6/15/2016.

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 - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 7,055 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 15 %
Agricultural Land Use 51.4 %
Forested Land Use 28.4 %


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 18/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 24 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 61 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Shading 80 %
Embeddedness 20 %
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 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Cutlip Minnow 256
Longnose Dace 187
Blacknose Dace 181
Blue Ridge Sculpin 81
Rosyside Dace 51
American Eel 47
Redbreast Sunfish 22
White Sucker 13
Central Stoneroller 12
Common Shiner 5
Creek Chub 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
No amphibians and reptiles noted.

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Privet
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 32
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 29
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 9
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 6
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 6
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 5
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 5
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 5
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 3
Girardia Freshwater Flatworm 2
Corbicula Basket Clam 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 2
Simulium Black Fly 1
Diamesa Bloodworm 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Enchytraeidae Aquatic Worm 1
Naididae Aquatic Worm 1
Potthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Hydrobaenus Midge 1
Nemouridae Nemourid 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.