MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-302-A-2008

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-302-A-2008-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-302-A-2008-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on PINEY BRANCH in the S Branch Patapsco watershed, 8-digit code: 02130908.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/18/2008 and again in the summer on 7/16/2008.

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 - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 5,132 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 1.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 82.5 %
Forested Land Use 14.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat

Instream Habitat 17/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 65 meters
14/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 20 meters
15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 20 %


Stream Water Quality:

Water temperature 19.2 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.1 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.6
Conductivity 183 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity)
408 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.8261 mg/L

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
Blue Ridge Sculpin 411
Blacknose Dace 57
Tessellated Darter 56
Rosyside Dace 52
White Sucker 43
Bluntnose Minnow 34
Central Stoneroller 23
Cutlip Minnow 21
Longnose Dace 16
Common Shiner 9
Creek Chub 9
Northern Hogsucker 4
Brown Trout 2
Rock Bass 2
Bluegill 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:

American Bullfrog
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:

Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:

Garlic Mustard
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Privet
Shrub Honeysuckle
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 18
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 12
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 12
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 10
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 8
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 8
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 6
Prosimulium Black Fly 5
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 4
Orthocladiinae Midge 4
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 3
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 3
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 3
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 3
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 2
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 2
Ablabesmyia Non-Biting Midge 2
Neophylax Caddisfly 2
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 2
Caecidotea Isopod 1
Glossosoma Little Black Caddisfly 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Chelifera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Centroptilum Small Minnow Mayfly 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 1
Prostoia Spring 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.