MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-206-X-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-206-X-2014-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-206-X-2014-2 (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 4/22/2014 and again in the summer on 9/15/2014.

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 - 4.0 / 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 7,031 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 15.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 51.4 %
Forested Land Use 28.3 %


Stream showing woody debris, logs, and rocky substrate.
An example of woody debris in a stream.

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 9/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 10/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 70 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 16 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 60 %
Embeddedness 15 %


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 15 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Cutlip Minnow 113
Redbreast Sunfish 110
American Eel 46
Tessellated Darter 16
Common Shiner 15
Longnose Dace 15
White Sucker 15
Swallowtail Shiner 7
Largemouth Bass 6
Blacknose Dace 4
Bluntnose Minnow 3
Bluegill 2
Rosyside Dace 2
Black Crappie 1
Green Sunfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Privet
Tree Of Heaven
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 15
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 13
Orthocladiinae Midge 12
Hydrobaenus Midge 7
Naididae Aquatic Worm 7
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 6
Empididae Dance Fly 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Parachironomus 3
Phaenopsectra Non-Biting Midges 3
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 3
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 3
Ancyronyx Spider Riffle Beetle 2
Chaetocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Neoplasta 2
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 2
Stygobromus Amphipod 2
Heterotrissocladius European Non-Biting Midge 2
Stenochironomus European Non-Biting Midge 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Argia Narrow-Winged Damselfly 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Corbicula Basket Clam 1
Cyrnellus 1
Menetus Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Rheocricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Brillia 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.