MBSS Site Summary for: UMON-201-R-2007

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site UMON-201-R-2007-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site UMON-201-R-2007-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Fishing Creek in the Upper Monocacy River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140303.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/18/2007 and again in the summer on 7/18/2007.

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 - 4.7 / 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 10,484 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 6.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 23.3 %
Forested Land Use 68.1 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 15/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 32 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 23 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.3 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.48
Conductivity 95 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		271 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.82 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 20 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 342
Blue Ridge Sculpin 199
Potomac Sculpin 120
Longnose Dace 83
Fantail Darter 69
Greenside Darter 68
White Sucker 44
Bluntnose Minnow 41
Redbreast Sunfish 21
Green Sunfish 19
Spotfin Shiner 18
Cutlip Minnow 7
Fallfish 5
Yellow Bullhead 5
Common Shiner 4
Central Stoneroller 2
Creek Chub 2
Margined Madtom 2
River Chub 2
Tessellated Darter 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Northern Red Salamander
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Garlic Mustard
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 18
Stenelmis Beetle 9
Naididae Aquatic Worm 8
Stenonema Flatheaded Mayfly 8
Orthocladiinae Midge 7
Empididae Dance Fly 6
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 5
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 5
Baetidae Small Minnow Mayfly 4
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
Diamesa Bloodworm 4
Antocha Crane Fly 3
Caenis Mayfly 3
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 3
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 3
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 2
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 2
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 2
Simulium Black Fly 2
Clinocera Aquatic Dance Fly 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Stenacron Mayfly 1
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
Diamesinae Non-Biting Midges 1
Argia Narrow-Winged Damselfly 1
Glossosomatidae Saddlecase Maker Caddisfly 1
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 1
Macronychus Riffle Beetle 1
Hemerodromia Tiny Fly 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.