MBSS Site Summary for: UMON-101-X-2015


Located on TUSCARORA CREEK UT in the Upper Monocacy River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140303.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/6/2015 and again in the summer on 7/8/2015.

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 - 4.5 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.5 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
(Hint: Screen readers will announce definitions; mouse users can hover over dotted text.)
Catchment area 729 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 1.7 %
Agricultural Land Use 0 %
Forested Land Use 98.4 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 16/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 31 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 46 meters 		16/20 (Optimal)
Shading 85 %
Embeddedness 10 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 6.46
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		26.4 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 0.7738 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 1 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 12
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern American Toad
Eastern Red-Backed Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 46
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 23
Leuctra  Rolled-Winged Stonefly 22
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 7
Lepidostoma Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 5
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 4
Tallaperla Roach-Like Stonefly 3
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 3
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 3
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 2
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 2
Rheotanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Perlodidae Perlodid Stonefly 1
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 1
Sweltsa Stonefly 1
Cladotanytarsus Non-Biting Midge 1
Diamesinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Epeorus Mayfly 1
Dolophilodes Medium Evening Sedge Caddisfly 1
Bezzia Biting Midge 1
Prosimulium 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.