MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-303-X-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-303-X-2014-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-303-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 8/14/2014.

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 - 4.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Poor - 2.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 9,490 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 25.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 45.4 %
Forested Land Use 24.6 %


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 18/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 27 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 62 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Shading 10 %
Embeddedness 40 %


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
Blue Ridge Sculpin 170
Longnose Dace 153
Blacknose Dace 115
Central Stoneroller 91
Swallowtail Shiner 71
Cutlip Minnow 61
Common Shiner 60
Tessellated Darter 44
Bluntnose Minnow 41
Redbreast Sunfish 28
Northern Hogsucker 27
Banded Killifish 26
American Eel 19
Rosyside Dace 12
Yellow Bullhead 10
Margined Madtom 7
White Sucker 3
Largemouth Bass 2
Creek Chub 1
Smallmouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Ratsnake
Eastern Snapping Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Pickerel Frog
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 22
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 20
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 17
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 7
Paratanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 7
Orthocladiinae Midge 6
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 6
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 5
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 4
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 3
Sublettea 3
Stenelmis Beetle 3
Simulium Black Fly 3
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 3
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Chironomini Non-Biting Midge 1
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Antocha Crane Fly 1
Empididae Dance Fly 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Corbicula Basket Clam 1
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsini Non-Biting Midges 1
Acentrella Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 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.