MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-303-X-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-303-X-2015_Midpoint-looking-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-303-X-2015_Midpoint-looking-upstream (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 3/18/2015 and again in the summer on 9/9/2015.

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 - 2.3 / 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 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 19 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 66 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 3 %
Embeddedness 30 %


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 19 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Longnose Dace 503
Blacknose Dace 315
Blue Ridge Sculpin 267
Central Stoneroller 225
Satinfin Shiner 176
Cutlip Minnow 130
Common Shiner 118
Tessellated Darter 89
Banded Killifish 74
Swallowtail Shiner 70
White Sucker 44
Northern Hogsucker 36
Bluntnose Minnow 26
Rosyside Dace 23
Redbreast Sunfish 15
Margined Madtom 12
American Eel 11
Creek Chub 7
Yellow Bullhead 4
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Spring Peeper

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Hops
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 31
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 25
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 19
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 16
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 12
Antocha Crane Fly 6
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 5
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 4
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 4
Hydropsychidae Common Netspinner Caddisfly 2
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 2
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 2
Girardia Freshwater Flatworm 1
Leptoceridae Longhorned Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Diamesa Bloodworm 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Microcylloepus Riffle Beetle 1
Sympotthastia 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.