Ferndale Branch (FD-01)

About the site:

FD-01 is located on Ferndale Branch north of Penrod Court in Glen Burnie, approximately 800 ft upstream of the confluence with Sawmill Creek. The site was sampled between 2017 and 2021 as part of a separate study of the Sawmill Creek watershed.  With a stream restoration project scheduled in 2023, the site was added to the targeted monitoring program in 2021. The site is located in a highly developed area, with 34 percent of the site’s drainage area consisting of impervious surface. Construction of an extensive stream restoration project directly upstream of FD-01 was completed in 2023.  2023 macroinvertebrate sampling was conducted prior to the completion of the upstream restoration work, while 2024 marks the first year of post-restoration monitoring.

FD01
Site FD-01
Time FrameBIBI (Condition)FIBI (Condition)aRBP (Condition)
2024 Results2.14 (Poor)2.67 (Poor)121 (Partially Supporting)
Cumulative Average (2017-2024)2.61 (Poor)2.50 (Poor)124 (Partially Supporting)
3-year Running Average2.43 (Poor)2.44 (Poor)121 (Partially Supporting)
a) Fish data were collected 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024.

Site FD-01: In 2023, FD-01 received a BIBI score of 2.14 (Poor).  After receiving a “Fair” score in 2021, BIBI scores at the site have declined steadily the past three years.  The 2024 sample consisted of primarily true flies (>80 percent) and isopods.

FD-01 Summary of Insects Collected by Sample Year:

fd-01-bug-plot.jpg

Site FD-01: In 2024, the site received a FIBI score of 2.67.  The site was also rated as “Poor” in 2018, 2020, and 2022.  White sucker (Catostomus commersonii) has been the dominant species each year and in 2024 comprised approximately 60 percent of the sample.  In 2024, the highest total number of individuals was caught (170), and banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanus) were observed at the site for the first time. American eel (Anguilla rostrata) and tessellated darter (Etheostoma olmstedi), however, have been found at the site in all four sampling years since its addition to the LTT network. 

FD-01 Summary of Fish Collected by Sample Year:

fd-01-fish-plot.jpg

Site FD-01: In 2024, the site received an RBP score of 121 (Partially Supporting).  RBP ratings at the site have fluctuated between “Supporting” and “Partially Supporting,” with cumulative and three-year averages of 124 and 121, respectively.

Site FD-01: A geomorphological assessment was performed here in 2010 before yearly assessments began in 2017.  Despite the channel shifting to the right by approximately five feet between the 2010 and 2017 measurements, channel dimensions since 2017 have been relatively stable.  2024 was the first assessment to be performed following the completion of an extensive stream restoration project.  

FD-01 Cross-Section Comparison:

fd-01-geo-plot.jpg
FD-01
YearBIBI (Condition)FIBI (Condition)RPB (Condition)
20173.29 (F)---133 (S)
20182.71 (P)2.67 (P)128 (S)
20192.14 (P)--118 (PS)
20202.14 (P)2.33 (P)132 (S)
20213.29 (F)--115 (PS)
20222.71 (P)2.33 (P)147 (S)
20232.43 (P)--124 (PS)

2024

2.14 (P)

2.67 (P)

121 (PS)

Station Summary
 Average BIBI (SD)3-Year Average BIBI (SD)Average RPB (SD)3-Year Average RBP (SD)Average FIBI (SD)3-Year FIBI Average (SD)
FD-012.61 (0.48)2.43 (0.29)124 (7)121 (4)2.50 (0.20)2.44 (0.20)
SD = Standard Deviation