MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-315-A-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-315-A-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-315-A-2009-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Gillis Falls in the S Branch Patapsco watershed, 8-digit code: 02130908.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/23/2009 and again in the summer on 7/9/2009.

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 Good - 4.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 11,581 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 1.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 79.2 %
Forested Land Use 18.1 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 59 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 23 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 55 %
Embeddedness 30 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17.9 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.8 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.51
Conductivity 152 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		391.4 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.5306 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 15 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 888
Blacknose Dace 210
Common Shiner 164
Rosyside Dace 134
Central Stoneroller 108
Longnose Dace 61
White Sucker 54
Tessellated Darter 45
Cutlip Minnow 42
Brown Trout 19
Swallowtail Shiner 12
Creek Chub 11
Northern Hogsucker 10
American Eel 3
Bluegill 2
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Long-Tailed Salamander
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Spotted Salamander
Wood Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 25
Ephemerellidae Spiny Crawler Mayfly 12
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 11
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 10
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 6
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 4
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 3
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 3
Naididae Aquatic Worm 3
Antocha Crane Fly 3
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 2
Glossosoma Little Black Caddisfly 2
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Thienemanniella Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 1
Nemouridae Nemourid Stonefly 1
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Sublettea 1
Paraphaenocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 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.