MBSS Site Summary for: UMON-223-A-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site UMON-223-A-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site UMON-223-A-2009-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Hunting Creek in the Upper Monocacy River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140303.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/16/2009 and again in the summer on 7/23/2009.

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 - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.8 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 6,100 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 5.5 %
Agricultural Land Use 0 %
Forested Land Use 94.4 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 18/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 20/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 17/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 58 meters 		17/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 63 meters 		19/20 (Optimal)
Shading 80 %
Embeddedness 10 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 17.9 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 8.2 mg/L
pH (lab) 7.45
Conductivity 98 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		397.3 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.3428 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 9 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 207
Blue Ridge Sculpin 98
Brown Trout 30
Longnose Dace 16
Fantail Darter 14
White Sucker 6
Potomac Sculpin 4
Bluegill 3
Rainbow Trout 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Northern Two-Lined Salamander

Crayfish:
Cambarus bartonii bartonii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Epeorus Mayfly 31
Baetis Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 24
Sweltsa Stonefly 11
EPHEMERELLIDAE Spiny Crawler Mayfly 10
Prosimulium Black Fly 7
LEPTOPHLEBIIDAE Pronggilled Mayfly 6
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 4
Psephenus Water Penny 2
HYDROPSYCHIDAE Common Netspinner Caddisfly 2
Taenionema 2
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 2
DIAMESINAE Non-Biting Midges 2
Eukiefferiella Non-Biting Midges 2
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 2
Sympotthastia Non-Biting Midges 2
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Diplectrona Net-Spinning Caddisfly 1
Cardiocladius Non-Biting Midge 1
PERLIDAE Common Stonefly 1
Paraleptophlebia Blue Quill Mayfly 1
GOMPHIDAE Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Isonychia Slate Drake Mayfly 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.