MBSS Site Summary for: UMON-298-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site UMON-298-X-2017-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site UMON-298-X-2017-MidpointUpstream (Opens in a new window)

Located on Little Tuscarora Creek in the Upper Monocacy River watershed, 8-digit code: 02140303.
This stream was visited in the spring on 4/20/2017 and again in the summer on 8/14/2017.

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 Fair - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 3,666 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 31.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 27.6 %
Forested Land Use 40.7 %


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

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 14/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 46 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 34 meters 		15/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 20 %
Embeddedness 40 %


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.99
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		1154 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.7118 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 15 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 1093
Potomac Sculpin 195
Blue Ridge Sculpin 127
Fantail Darter 110
Longnose Dace 68
Green Sunfish 53
Bluntnose Minnow 49
White Sucker 33
Cyprinella Sp. 26
Mimic Shiner 19
Creek Chub 12
Eastern Mosquitofish 5
Rock Bass 5
Pearl Dace 2
Greenside Darter 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Fowler's Toad

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Callery Pear
Japanese Stiltgrass
Oriental Bittersweet
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 29
NEOPHYLAX Caddisfly 24
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 7
HYDROPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 4
CHIMARRA Fingernet Caddisfly 3
MACCAFFERTIUM March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 3
GAMMARUS Amphipod 3
TVETENIA Non-Biting Midges 3
DICROTENDIPES Non-Biting Midges 2
PARAMETRIOCNEMUS Non-Biting Midges 2
POLYPEDILUM Non-Biting Midges 2
TANYPODINAE Non-Biting Midges 2
EPHEMERELLA Sulphur Mayfly 2
THIENEMANNIMYIA GROUP Non-Biting Midges 2
CRANGONYX Amphipod 2
HELICOPSYCHE 1
ANTOCHA Crane Fly 1
STENELMIS Beetle 1
SIMULIUM Black Fly 1
DIAMESA Bloodworm 1
TELOGANOPSIS Mayfly 1
ORTHOCLADIINAE Midge 1
ABLABESMYIA Non-Biting Midge 1
LIMNOPHYES Non-Biting Midge 1
CRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 1
AGAPETUS Tiny Black Short-Horned Caddisfly 1
PLAUDITUS Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
TANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 1
MICROPSECTRA Non-Biting Midges 1
MICROTENDIPES Non-Biting Midges 1
OPTIOSERVUS Riffle Beetle 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.