Tuesday, June 5, 2007
412

Development of a Macroinvertebrate Sampling Methodology for Non–Wadeable Low Gradient Streams

Alice T. Dossett1, Michael C. Beiser1, Joseph E. Flotemersch2, and Karen Blocksom2. (1) Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, 1542 Old Whitfield Rd., Pearl, MS 39208, (2) National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26W M.L. King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268

The US EPA National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) has done substantial work on development of a sampling methodology for large rivers.  The NERL method calls for the collection of a maximum of 24 samples from a 500m reach of the river, sampling of both left and right banks at equidistant transects along the river reach, and a laboratory sorting effort that produces a maximum of 2000 organisms for taxonomy and analysis from each site.  Because the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, like many other state agencies, finds itself with substantial budget limitations it was impossible to implement this sampling strategy in its entirety.  Working closely with EPA NERL, the original method was downsized to more closely match our available resources.  Among the questions that were addressed were: the location of sampling points within the selected reach; the reduction of sampling effort to a level that would more closely match our available resources; the definition of the loss of resolution between the modified method as compared to the original; the modification of the habitat assessment forms to closely correspond our low gradient lotic systems; the laboratory and sub-sampling effort; and the field sampling effort.

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