MBSS Site Summary for: UMON-203-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site UMON-203-X-2017-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site UMON-203-X-2017-MidpointUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Little Hunting Creek in the Upper Monocacy River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140303.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/20/2017 and again in the summer on 6/29/2017.

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 - 4.3 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.3 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 4,558 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 2.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 0.8 %
Forested Land Use 96.4 %


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 18/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 38 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 56 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Shading 80 %
Embeddedness 10 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
No water quality measurements available for this site.

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 5 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blue Ridge Sculpin 170
Blacknose Dace 136
Brown Trout 20
Longnose Dace 18
Fantail Darter 15
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
No amphibians and reptiles noted.

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Spiraea
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
LEPTOPHLEBIIDAE Pronggilled Mayfly 19
PROSIMULIUM Black Fly 18
EPHEMERELLA Sulphur Mayfly 13
EPEORUS Mayfly 8
AMELETUS Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 5
AMPHINEMURA Spring Stonefly 5
SWELTSA Stonefly 5
POLYPEDILUM Non-Biting Midges 5
BAETIS Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 4
MACCAFFERTIUM March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 4
DIPHETOR Mayfly 3
PERLODIDAE Perlodid Stonefly 3
TANYPODINAE Non-Biting Midges 2
ISOPERLA Stripetail Stonefly 2
OULIMNIUS Riffle Beetle 2
BLEPHARICERA Net-Winged Midges 2
DRUNELLA Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 2
TAENIONEMA 2
ISOGENOIDES 1
SIMULIUM Black Fly 1
NEOPHYLAX Caddisfly 1
PTERONARCYS Giant Stonefly 1
LEPIDOSTOMA Little Brown Sedge Caddisfly 1
DIAMESINAE Non-Biting Midges 1
EURYLOPHELLA Mayfly 1
DOLOPHILODES Medium Evening Sedge Caddisfly 1
STILOCLADIUS Midge 1
HYDROPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
TVETENIA Non-Biting Midges 1
RHEOCRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 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.