MBSS Site Summary for: SEVE-101-R-2003

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site SEVE-101-R-2003-0820 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site SEVE-101-R-2003-0821 (Opens in a new window)

Located on JABEZ BR in the Severn River watershed, 8-digit code: 02131002.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/10/2003 and again in the summer on 6/16/2003.

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 Poor - 1.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.4 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 778 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 29 %
Agricultural Land Use 18 %
Forested Land Use 52 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 12/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 32 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 47 meters 		11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 96 %
Embeddedness 55 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 55%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 16.3 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.5 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.37
Conductivity 140 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		139.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 4.1 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 2 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 162
Eastern Mudminnow 40
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Box Turtle
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 20
Prosimulium Black Fly 19
Leptophlebia Pronggilled Mayfly 15
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 6
Stegopterna Black Fly 4
Zavrelimyia Non-Biting Midges 4
Allocapnia Small Winter Stonefly 3
Rheosmittia Non-Biting Midges 3
Tanypodinae Non-Biting Midges 3
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 3
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Diplocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Pycnopsyche Great Autumn Brown Sedge Caddisfly 2
Chloroperlidae Green Stonefly 2
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 2
Hexatoma Crane Fly 2
Tipula Crane Fly 2
Trissopelopia Non-Biting Midges 2
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Thienemannimyia group Non-Biting Midges 1
Eccoptura Yellow Stone Stonefly 1
Ptilostomis Giant Casemaker Caddisfly 1
Synurella Amphipod 1
Anchytarsus Beetle 1
Helichus Beetle 1
Nigronia Megaloptera (Dark Fishfly) 1
Lype Net Tube Caddisfly 1
Paraphaenocladius 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.