MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-310-R-2015

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-310-R-2015_Midpoint-looking-downstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-310-R-2015_Midpoint-looking-upstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on SOUTH BRANCH PATAPSCO RIVER in the S Branch Patapsco watershed, 8-digit code: 02130908.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/2/2015 and again in the summer on 9/14/2015.

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 - 5.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 22,225 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 21.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 46.3 %
Forested Land Use 30.6 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 10/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 7/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 56 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 19 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 25 %
Embeddedness 45 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 8.14
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		547.2 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.907 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 21 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 576
White Sucker 238
Common Shiner 139
Longnose Dace 125
Central Stoneroller 110
Blacknose Dace 72
Cutlip Minnow 62
Bluegill 55
Tessellated Darter 53
Northern Hogsucker 29
Largemouth Bass 22
River Chub 21
American Eel 13
Brown Trout 12
Smallmouth Bass 11
Rock Bass 9
Creek Chub 8
Rosyside Dace 8
Green Sunfish 2
Rosyface Shiner 2
Swallowtail Shiner 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Spring Peeper

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Bamboo
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Stiltgrass
Mile-A-Minute
Multiflora Rose
Tree Of Heaven
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 30
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 17
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 11
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 8
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 5
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 4
Antocha Crane Fly 4
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 4
Glossosoma Little Black Caddisfly 3
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 3
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 3
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 3
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 3
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 2
Prosimulium Black Fly 2
Fossaria Air Breathing Freshwater Snail 2
Mystacides 1
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
Tipula Crane Fly 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 1
Tanypodinae 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.