Sewell Spring Branch (SR-01)

 

About the site:

Consisting of a single site located on Sewell Spring Branch, a tributary to the Severn River, station SR-01 has a drainage area of approximately 450 acres. This site has been monitored since 2005. It is a mostly forested watershed (~55%) with about 10% impervious surface, most of which is disconnected. This site was established during geomorphic work performed for another project (Starr et al. 2010) and has become a de facto reference site for the County’s biological monitoring work.

SR01
Time FrameBIBI (Condition)FIBI (Condition)RBP (Condition)
2023 Results3.57 (Fair)--146 (Supporting)
Cumulative Average (2005-2023)1 3.48 (Fair)3.20 (Fair)151 (Comparable)
3-year Running Average3.95 (Fair)3.11 (Fair)153 (Comparable)
  1. No data for 2006.
  2. Fish data were collected in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022.

In 2023, SR-01 received a BIBI score of 3.57 (Fair). Biological conditions at this station have been typically rated as “Fair”, with a long-term average BIBI score of 3.48 and a three-year average score of 3.95.  Caddisflies and stoneflies made up approximately 2/3rds of the sample. Mayflies were absent from the 2023 sample for the first time since 2016.

SR-01 Summary of Insects Collected by Sample Year:

SR-01 Bug Plot

 

In 2022, a FIBI value of 3.00 (Fair) was obtained in this reach. This site has been rated “Fair” in all five years that fish sampling has occurred. Four species were observed at this location in 2022: American eel (Anguilla rostrata), eastern mudminnow (Umbra pygmaea), tessellated darter (Etheostoma olmstedi), and blacknose dace (Rhinchthys atratulus).

SR-01 Summary of Fish Collected by Sample Year:

SR-01 Fish Plot

 

This site received an RBP score of 146 (Comparable to Reference Conditions) in 2023.  Habitat condition scores at the site have been consistently high since assessments began in 2005, with a cumulative average RPB score of 151. High quality epifaunal substrate (structures on the streambed that provide surfaces on which animals can live), a variety of flow features, low banks, and a broad forested riparian area all contribute to the excellent habitat conditions found at the site.

Little change was observed from 2008 to 2010. The channel steadily incised between 2012 and 2020, resulting in a drop in water surface elevation of approximately 0.70 feet over that time. In 2021 the channel began to experience aggradation again, increasing the stream elevation by approximately 0.20 feet between 2020 and 2023.

SR-01 Cross-Section Comparison:

SR-01 Geo Plot
SR-01
YearBIBI (Condition)FIBI (Condition)RBP (Condition)
20053.00 (F)--128 (S)
2006------
20073.29 (F)--148 (S)
20083.29 (F)--134 (S)
20093.29 (F)--128 (S)
20102.71 (P)--160 (C)
20113.57 (F)--165 (C)
20122.14 (P)--170 (C)
20133.57 (F)--159 (C)
20143.57 (F)--160 (C)
20153.29 (F)3.33 (F)138 (S)
20163.86 (F)3.33 (F)142 (S)
20173.86 (F)--157 (C)
20183.29 (F)3.00 (F)159 (C)
20193.57 (F)--162 (C)
20204.14 (G)3.33 (F)155 (C)
20213.57 (F)--151 (C)
20224.71 (G)3.00 (F)163 (C)
20233.57 (F)--146 (S)
Station Summary
 Average BIBI (SD)

3-Year Average BIBI (SD)

Average RBP (SD)3-Year Average RBP (SD)Average FIBI (SD)3-Year Average FIBI (SD)
SR-013.48 (0.57)3.95 (0.66)151 (13)153 (9)3.20 (0.18)3.11 (0.19)

SD = Standard Deviation