MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-205-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-205-X-2017-MidpointFacingDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-205-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 3/8/2017 and again in the summer on 7/24/2017.

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 - 4.3 / 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 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 43 meters 		10/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 32 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 30 %


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 12 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 186
Cutlip Minnow 170
Longnose Dace 69
Blue Ridge Sculpin 57
American Eel 33
Common Shiner 24
Redbreast Sunfish 23
Tessellated Darter 19
Rosyside Dace 13
White Sucker 10
Banded Killifish 7
Creek Chub 3
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Northern Spring Peeper

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

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

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
RHEOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 42
NANOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 17
PROSTOIA Spring Stonefly 6
CLINOCERA Aquatic Dance Fly 6
NAIDIDAE Aquatic Worm 5
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 5
ORTHOCLADIINAE Midge 4
DIAMESA Bloodworm 4
MACCAFFERTIUM March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 4
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
ARGIA Narrow-Winged Damselfly 3
HYDROBAENUS Midge 3
PARAMETRIOCNEMUS Non-Biting Midges 3
MICROPSECTRA Non-Biting Midges 2
HYDROPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
CORYNONEURA Non-Biting Midges 2
PROSTOMA Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 2
ANTOCHA Crane Fly 2
PHYSA Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 2
SIMULIUM Black Fly 2
CORBICULA Basket Clam 1
EMPIDIDAE Dance Fly 1
GIRARDIA Freshwater Flatworm 1
HAGENIUS Clubtail Dragonfly 1
OECETIS Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
HYDROPTILA Microcaddisfly 1
DIAMESINAE Non-Biting Midges 1
EUKIEFFERIELLA Non-Biting Midges 1
NEMATODA Nematode 1
SYMPOTTHASTIA Non-Biting Midges 1
THIENEMANNIMYIA GROUP Non-Biting Midges 1
OPTIOSERVUS Riffle Beetle 1
AMPHINEMURA 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.