MBSS Site Summary for: STMA-232-A-2010

Site Photos

Located on St. Mary's River in the St. Mary's River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140103.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/10/2010 and again in the summer on 7/13/2010.

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 - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.1 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 2,758 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 23.4 %
Agricultural Land Use 18.6 %
Forested Land Use 55.9 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 17/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 58 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 44 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 55 %
Embeddedness 80 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 80%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.575
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		216.5 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 11.0807 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 12 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
American Eel 58
Eastern Mudminnow 29
Margined Madtom 12
Tessellated Darter 12
Least Brook Lamprey 11
Redbreast Sunfish 11
Tadpole Madtom 9
Brown Bullhead 4
Pumpkinseed 3
Golden Shiner 2
Chain Pickerel 1
Largemouth Bass 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Common Five-Lined Skink
Eastern Cricket Frog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Spring Peeper
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Musculium Fingernail Clam 22
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 14
Simulium Black Fly 12
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 12
Plauditus Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 8
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 6
Stenelmis Beetle 6
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 4
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 4
Hydrobiidae Pebble Snail 3
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 3
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Orthocladiinae Midge 2
Oecetis Long-Horned Caddisfly 2
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 2
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 2
Microcylloepus Riffle Beetle 2
Ancyronyx Spider Riffle Beetle 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 1
Perlesta 1
Hagenius Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Parakiefferiella European Non-Biting Midge 1
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Xylotopus Midge 1
Chironomini Non-Biting Midge 1
Cladotanytarsus Non-Biting Midge 1
Chironomus Non-Biting Midges 1
Tanytarsus 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.