MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-206-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-206-X-2017-MidpointLookingDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-206-X-2017-MidpointLookingUpstream (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 7/19/2017.

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 - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 7,073 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 51.7 %
Forested Land Use 28.2 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 59 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 16 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 65 %
Embeddedness 50 %


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 16 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Redbreast Sunfish 156
Cutlip Minnow 89
American Eel 74
Swallowtail Shiner 47
Banded Killifish 36
Tessellated Darter 36
Blacknose Dace 23
Common Shiner 13
Longnose Dace 12
White Sucker 11
Bluegill 5
Blue Ridge Sculpin 2
Bluntnose Minnow 1
Creek Chub 1
Green Sunfish 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

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

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
RHEOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 59
NANOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 19
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 9
HYDROBAENUS Midge 6
PHYSA Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 5
CLINOCERA Aquatic Dance Fly 5
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
HYDROPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
MACCAFFERTIUM March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 3
NAIDIDAE Aquatic Worm 2
CORBICULA Basket Clam 2
TVETENIA Non-Biting Midges 2
MACRONYCHUS Riffle Beetle 2
PROSTOIA Spring Stonefly 1
POLYCENTROPUS Tube Maker Caddisfly 1
SIMULIUM Black Fly 1
DIAMESA Bloodworm 1
NEOPLASTA 1
ENCHYTRAEIDAE Aquatic Worm 1
BRILLIA Non-Biting Midges 1
CHIRONOMUS Non-Biting Midges 1
MICROPSECTRA Non-Biting Midges 1
THIENEMANNIELLA 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.