MBSS Site Summary for: SM-S-125-142-97


Located on CUCKOLD CR in the Patuxent River lower watershed, 8-digit code: 02131101.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/18/1997 and again in the summer on 6/4/1997.

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 Fair - 3.3 / 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 224 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 23.6 %
Agricultural Land Use 18.4 %
Forested Land Use 57.8 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 7/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 7/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality 11/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 12.6 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 9.9 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.54
Conductivity 112 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		159.6 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.4 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 4 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Least Brook Lamprey 33
American Eel 6
Rosyside Dace 6
Tessellated Darter 6
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Wormsnake
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Stegopterna Black Fly 14
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 10
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 10
Limnephilidae Northern Casemaker Caddisfly 6
Tipula Crane Fly 5
Leptophlebia Pronggilled Mayfly 4
Ironoquia Northern Caddisfly 4
Pycnopsyche Great Autumn Brown Sedge Caddisfly 3
Caecidotea Isopod 3
Prosimulium Black Fly 3
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 3
Paraleptophlebia Blue Quill Mayfly 2
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 2
Lepidoptera Aquatic Moth 1
Centroptilum Small Minnow Mayfly 1
Cordulegaster Spiketail Dragonfly 1
Dytiscidae Predaceous Diving Beetle 1
Hexatoma Crane Fly 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Corynoneura Non-Biting Midges 1
Haploperla Green Stonefly 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 1
Dineutus Whirlygig Beetle 1
Eccoptura Yellow Stone Stonefly 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.