MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-302-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-302-X-2017-MidpointFacingDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-302-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 3/10/2017 and again in the summer on 7/18/2017.

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 - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 9,657 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 26.1 %
Agricultural Land Use 45.1 %
Forested Land Use 24.7 %


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 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 8/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 63 meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 39 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 40 %
Embeddedness 53 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 53%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


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 20 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 393
Blue Ridge Sculpin 294
Cutlip Minnow 197
Longnose Dace 92
Swallowtail Shiner 89
Redbreast Sunfish 57
Common Shiner 51
Tessellated Darter 51
Northern Hogsucker 40
Rosyside Dace 40
Central Stoneroller 34
Banded Killifish 31
American Eel 30
White Sucker 30
Creek Chub 21
Margined Madtom 10
Largemouth Bass 6
Yellow Bullhead 3
Bluegill 1
Smallmouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Green Frog
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Daylily(Common)
Garlic Mustard
Hydrilla Verticillata
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 22
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 18
PROSTOIA Spring Stonefly 17
CLINOCERA Aquatic Dance Fly 12
CHIMARRA Fingernet Caddisfly 9
NAIDIDAE Aquatic Worm 6
OULIMNIUS Riffle Beetle 5
RHEOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 5
CORBICULA Basket Clam 3
RHEOCRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 3
PHYSA Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 2
MACCAFFERTIUM March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
ORTHOCLADIINAE Midge 2
NEOPHYLAX Caddisfly 2
ANTOCHA Crane Fly 2
ISONYCHIA Slate Drake Mayfly 2
POLYCENTROPUS Tube Maker Caddisfly 2
ANCYRONYX Spider Riffle Beetle 1
SYMPOTTHASTIA Non-Biting Midges 1
TANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 1
THIENEMANNIELLA Non-Biting Midges 1
STROPHOPTERYX Early Brown Stonefly 1
DICRANOTA Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
PROSIMULIUM Black Fly 1
SIMULIUM Black Fly 1
TUBIFICIDAE Aquatic Worm 1
CORYNONEURA Non-Biting Midges 1
PARATANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 1
POTTHASTIA 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.