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DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE RIVER BIOASSESSMENT PROTOCOLS (LR-BPS) FOR BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES IN EPA REGION 5
Citation:
Flotemersch, J E. DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE RIVER BIOASSESSMENT PROTOCOLS (LR-BPS) FOR BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES IN EPA REGION 5. Presented at Southeastern Water Pollution Biologists Association, Opelika, AL, November 01 - 04, 2004.
Impact/Purpose:
The goal of this research is to develop methods and indicators that are useful for evaluating the condition of aquatic communities, for assessing the restoration of aquatic communities in response to mitigation and best management practices, and for determining the exposure of aquatic communities to different classes of stressors (i.e., pesticides, sedimentation, habitat alteration).
Description:
Non-wadeable rivers have been largely overlooked by bioassessment programs because of sampling difficulties and a lack of appropriate methods and biological indicators. We are in the process of developing a Large River Bioassessment Protocol (LR-BP) for sampling macroinvertebrate assemblages. The LR-BP is a semi-quantitative, multi-habitat method where samples are collected from 10-m sample zones on each bank at 6 transects spaced 100-m apart over a distance of 500-m. In summer 2004 and 2005, the LR-BP will be used to sample 25 probabilistic sites on each of six rivers of differing landuse type in USEPA Region 5. Our objectives are to refine the LR-BP and to compare it with other large river macroinvertebrate sampling methods at a subset of sites on each river. We are also collecting snag samples on each river in an attempt to develop a rapid bioreconaissance tool for monitoring agencies. Expected outcomes of this research include probability-based assessments of the target rivers, standardized large river macroinvertebrate sampling methods, indicator development, and a comparison of existing sampling methods. This work will also be used to produce a summary of large river sampling methods that documents associated performance characteristics for each. This research was funded by a Regional Methods Initiative (RMI) grant to NERL/EERD from EPA Region 5.