MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-303-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-303-X-2017-MidpointFacingDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-303-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 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 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 40 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 43 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
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 19 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 413
Blacknose Dace 357
Longnose Dace 307
Swallowtail Shiner 236
Banded Killifish 221
Common Shiner 154
Cutlip Minnow 126
Redbreast Sunfish 93
Northern Hogsucker 65
Tessellated Darter 65
Central Stoneroller 48
American Eel 28
Rosyside Dace 28
White Sucker 22
Margined Madtom 16
Yellow Bullhead 10
Creek Chub 7
Largemouth Bass 4
Fathead Minnow 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Green Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Crown Vetch
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
PARATANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 44
RHEOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 15
SUBLETTEA 11
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 8
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 7
HYDROPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 6
STENELMIS Beetle 5
TVETENIA Non-Biting Midges 5
OULIMNIUS Riffle Beetle 5
ANTOCHA Crane Fly 4
CORBICULA Basket Clam 4
CLINOCERA Aquatic Dance Fly 3
CHIMARRA Fingernet Caddisfly 3
MICROCYLLOEPUS Riffle Beetle 3
TANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 3
NEMOURIDAE Nemourid Stonefly 2
PROSTOMA Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 2
NAIDIDAE Aquatic Worm 2
LEUCOTRICHIA 1
STROPHOPTERYX Early Brown Stonefly 1
PARAKIEFFERIELLA European Non-Biting Midge 1
SIMULIUM Black Fly 1
TELOGANOPSIS Mayfly 1
GIRARDIA Freshwater Flatworm 1
CRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 1
DICROTENDIPES Non-Biting Midges 1
MICROTENDIPES Non-Biting Midges 1
PROSTOIA Spring Stonefly 1
HEMERODROMIA Tiny Fly 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.