MBSS Site Summary for: UMON-299-X-2017

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site UMON-299-X-2017-MidpointDownstream (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site UMON-299-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 8/9/2017.

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 - 4.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.5 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 3,745 acres A highly channelized urban stream with concrete banks. An example of a highly channelized urban stream.
Urban Land Use 31.9 %
Agricultural Land Use 27.8 %
Forested Land Use 40.3 %


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 16/20 (Optimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 16/20 (Optimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 58 meters 		18/20 (Optimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 19 meters 		12/20 (Suboptimal)
Shading 10 %
Embeddedness 40 %
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Optimal' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
pH (lab) 7.7
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		1565 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 1.6053 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 29 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Blacknose Dace 609
Notropis Sp. 365
Fantail Darter 155
Longnose Dace 148
Bluntnose Minnow 141
White Sucker 120
Potomac Sculpin 92
Cyprinella Sp. 59
Eastern Mosquitofish 37
Green Sunfish 30
Blue Ridge Sculpin 23
Creek Chub 20
Central Stoneroller 11
Redbreast Sunfish 11
Rosyside Dace 10
Banded Killifish 9
Northern Hogsucker 6
Creek Chubsucker 4
Cutlip Minnow 4
Rock Bass 4
Bluegill 3
Common Shiner 2
Fallfish 2
Yellow Bullhead 2
Longear Sunfish 1
Nocomis Sp. 1
Pumpkinseed 1
Smallmouth Bass 1
Swallowtail Shiner 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Pickerel Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes virilis

Exotic Plants:
Autumn Olive
Multiflora Rose
Wineberry
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
CHEUMATOPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 33
HELICOPSYCHE 13
HYDROPSYCHE Net-Spinning Caddisfly 10
ORTHOCLADIUS Non-Biting Midges 10
OPTIOSERVUS Riffle Beetle 10
NEOPHYLAX Caddisfly 7
ORTHOCLADIINAE Midge 5
CRICOTOPUS Non-Biting Midges 5
TVETENIA Non-Biting Midges 5
POLYPEDILUM Non-Biting Midges 4
PARAMETRIOCNEMUS Non-Biting Midges 3
TANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 3
DICROTENDIPES Non-Biting Midges 3
CHIMARRA Fingernet Caddisfly 2
STENELMIS Beetle 2
THIENEMANNIMYIA GROUP Non-Biting Midges 2
EPHEMERELLA Sulphur Mayfly 2
ACENTRELLA Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 2
MICROTENDIPES Non-Biting Midges 2
PLAUDITUS Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
AGAPETUS Tiny Black Short-Horned Caddisfly 1
OULIMNIUS Riffle Beetle 1
MACRONYCHUS Riffle Beetle 1
RHEOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midges 1
DIAMESA Bloodworm 1
BAETIS Blue-Winged Olive Mayfly 1
TUBIFICIDAE Aquatic Worm 1
MACCAFFERTIUM March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 1
HYDROPTILA Microcaddisfly 1
ANTOCHA Crane Fly 1
EUKIEFFERIELLA Non-Biting Midges 1
PSILOTRETA Mortarjoint Casemaker Caddisfly 1
CHIRONOMINI Non-Biting Midge 1
CLADOTANYTARSUS Non-Biting Midge 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.