BASICS OF

BIOASSESSMENT

The Use of Biological Information

in Aquatic Resource Management

www.cpcb.ku.edu

2011 May Nebraska H2O Stream Bioassessment Workshop

BIOASSESSMENT vs.

BIOCRITERIA

•Assessments

•measure the condition of aquatic

communities in a specific waterbody

•Criteria

•define the goals for that community

•narrative expressions, numerical values,

and/or analytical procedures

BIOASSESSMENT“An evaluation of the condition of a body of water

using biological surveys and other direct

measurements of the resident biota in surface

waters” - US EPA 1996

Farmer’s Cr., Franklin Co.

SUGGESTED ELEMENTS OF A

BIOASSESSMENT PROGRAM

• Determine goal and define study design

• Multiple assemblages

• Multiple metric indices

• Habitat structure assessment

• Index period

• Regional reference condition

• SOPs and QA Program

Concurrent or relatable water quality

MULTIPLE ASSEMBLAGES

ORGANISM GROUPS

• Periphyton

• Macroinvertebrates

• Fish

White R.

PRIMARY PRODUCERS

• Phytoplankton

– Grab sample

– Chlorophyll a

• Periphyton

– Periphytometer

– 5-days incubation

– Chlorophyll a

or sample natural

substrates

MACROINVERTEBRATES

• Kick samples (D-frame net): 500 micron mesh

• Timed samples

• Pool, riffle and run habitats sampled

• Habitat sampled is scored for each sample

FISH• All macrohabitats in

stream segment are sampled (electrofishing, seining).

• Representative macro-habitat of stream site segment blocked with 3/8th inch mesh seine.

• Mean length, width, and depth are measured for each macrohabitat.

MULTIPLE METRICS,

RIVPAC and/or INDICES

• Taxa richness

• Number of mayfly taxa

• Percent EPT – Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera

• Percent intolerant taxa

• Percent shredders

• Diversity indices

• Index of Biological Integrity (IBI)

Crop w/o Management

Crop w/ Management

Grassland

Parkland

Water

Forest

Rural Res. w/o Livestock

Rural Res. w/ Livestock

Res. Single Family

Res. du-, tri-, quadplexes

Res. low-rise

Commercial

Industrial

Trafficway

Roads

WATERSHED CONDITIONS

• May complicate study

interpretation

• Nonpoint assessment

above pour point

• Use GIS and

appropriate data layer

• Urban land use is

often available

• Not critical if all study

sites are affected

HABITAT STRUCTURE

ASSESSMENT

• Whole waterbody– Riparian corridor, sinuosity, littoral zone,

shoreline development

• Sampling segment or site– Pool, riffle, run, depth/width, canopy cover,

substrate particle size

• Sample area, microhabitats– Leaf packs, individual rocks, algal mats

FACTORS IMPACTING STREAMS(MANY ARE HABITAT RELATED)

• Channelization

• Land use change

• Altered flow

• Impoundment

• Riparian loss

• Sedimentation

• Thermal pollution

• Geomorphic change

• Organic enrichment

• Pesticide exposure

HABITAT ASSESSMENT

• Substrate type

• Channel width

• Riparian width

• Livestock access & damage

• Stream shading

• Stream flow

• Woody debris loading

• Area of active erosion

• Areas of bank undercutting

• Areas of overhanging bank

vegetation

Rush Creek

PHYSICAL PARAMETERS

• Air temperature

• Water temperature

• Turbidity

• Conductivity

• DO

• pH

• Flow rate & discharge

• Bank erosion

INDEX PERIOD

• Data collection period

• Period should minimize temporal variability

– annual, seasonal

• Index period may vary with target

organisms and region

• Optimal assessment period for organism

group

– developmental life stages, water levels,

maximize gear efficiency

STUDY DESIGN

• Identify objectives and analytical

approach– are temporal changes of interests

– are spatial changes of interests

– Necessary sample size

• Identify control, reference or baseline

conditions– Point source studies (above/below, before/after,

Before-After Control-Impact design (BACI))

– Paired watersheds, reference

watersheds/conditions

– Comparison with similar systems and regions

REGIONAL REFERENCE

CONDITION

• Ecoregion approach

• Represents desirable and least

impacted by man

• Use multiple reference sites to define

and quantify

• May need waterbody classes – shallow lakes, large rivers, sand-bottom streams,

saline wetlands

C e n t r a l U S E c o r e g i o n s C e n t r a l G r e a t P l a i n s C e n t r a l I r r e g u l a r P l a i n s C e n t r a l O k l a h o m a / T e x a s P l a i n s D r i f t l e s s A r e a F l i n t H i l l s I n t e r i o r R i v e r L o w l a n d M i d d l e R o c k i e s M i s s i s s i p p i A l u v i a l P l a i n N e b r a s k a S a n d H i l l s N o r t h w e s t e r n G l a c i a t e d P l a i n s N o r t h w e s t e r n G r e a t P l a i n s O z a r k H i g h l a n d s S o u t h w e s t e r n T a b l e l a n d s W e s t e r n C o r n B e l t P l a i n s W e s t e r n H i g h P l a i n s

E c o r e g i o n s

o f t h e

C e n t r a l U n i t e d

S t a t e s

SAND HILLS &

CENTRAL GREAT PLAINSBig Creek Big Cottonwood

ESTIMATING CONDITIONQ

uality

Ecoregion A Ecoregion B

Historic Historic

Attainable

Attainable

Least Disturbed

Least DisturbedDisturbed

Disturbed

High

Low

USE MULTIPLE SITES TO

REPRESENT REFERENCERed star = EPA R7 candidate stream reference sites

SOPs and QA PROGRAM

• Outlines objectives

• Provides guidelines

• Lines of responsibility

• Accountability for ensuring data:

1. precision

2. accuracy

3. completeness

4. sample custody

QUESTIONS?