MBSS Site Summary for: SBPA-424-R-2014

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-424-R-2014-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SBPA-424-R-2014-2 (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 3/20/2014 and again in the summer on 8/27/2014.

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 - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 33,223 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 19.2 %
Agricultural Land Use 48.1 %
Forested Land Use 31.3 %


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 8/20 (Marginal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 69 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 8 meters 		14/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 50 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.44
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		527.1 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.3647 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 261
Longnose Dace 86
Common Shiner 50
Tessellated Darter 42
Northern Hogsucker 38
Cutlip Minnow 32
Smallmouth Bass 32
American Eel 23
Bluegill 21
Rock Bass 16
River Chub 13
Redbreast Sunfish 11
Rosyside Dace 11
White Sucker 8
Creek Chub 5
Margined Madtom 5
Blacknose Dace 3
Central Stoneroller 2
Largemouth Bass 2
Bluntnose Minnow 1
Green Sunfish 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Daylily
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Hops
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Oriental Bittersweet
Privet
Shrub Honeysuckle
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 35
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 11
Hydrobaenus Midge 10
Orthocladiinae Midge 7
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 4
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 3
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 3
Parakiefferiella European Non-Biting Midge 3
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 3
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 2
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 2
Polycentropus Tube Maker Caddisfly 2
Acroneuria Golden Stoneflies 2
Synorthocladius 2
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Brillia Non-Biting Midges 1
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 1
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Calopteryx Damselfly 1
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Eurylophella Mayfly 1
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 1
Capniidae Small Winter Stonefly 1
Tanypodinae 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.