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Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Data From the Battle Creek Watershed Assessment

The Battle Creek Watershed Assessment (WA) (Terraqua, 2004) collected baseline data on aquatic habitat at 50 locations, including macroinvertebrate data (Ward and Kvam, 2003). Aquatic insects and other bottom dwelling invertebrate species are widely used to understand stream health in the Sierra Nevada ecosystem (Erman, 1996). The Battle Creek macroinvertebrate samples were analyzed using Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Washington Department of Environment habitat quality indices so that they compared with other Battle Creek WA Ecosystem Decision Support Model (EMDS) aquatic habitat results.

Findings of Battle Creek Watershed Assessment

Terraqua (2004) collected macroinvertebrate samples at 44 of 50 Battle Creek Watershed Assessment sites according to River Invertebrate Prediction And Classification System (RIVPACS) protocol (Hawkins et al. 2001) in Fall 2001, Spring 2002 and Fall 2002. Samples were sub-sampled, keyed and sorted and summary statistics provided by Rhithron Associates, Inc., Kvam Aquatic Sciences performed data interpretation and report writing, and Ward and Kvam (2003) wrote a summary report that is supplementary to the Battle Creek WA. Metrics used for interpretation included standard ones, such as the Richness, EPT Richness and Percent Dominant taxa (Ward and Kvam, 2003), but also more complex biotic integrity indices that combine several scores (Karr, 1991; Hafele and Mulvey 1998). Terraqua (2004) gave no more weight to one aquatic macroinvertebrate index over another, but rather considered them all of equal analytical value. Only one example is displayed here, but others can be viewed in Ward and Kvam (2003) and in the Battle Creek WA.

The Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) as EMDS scores for various sites in the Battle Creek watershed are shown in map form (at left) from the Battle Creek WA. The "fully favorable" scores are on upper tributaries of the South Fork, Rock Creek and the middle North Fork. "Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) scores averaged 38 and ranged from 24 to 48. EMDS analysis indicates, with reasonable or high certainty, that B-IBI scores were favorable for salmonid production at 20 sites and were unfavorable at 6 sites. Sites with favorable B-IBI scores were notably absent from most of South Fork Battle Creek. Three sites with unfavorable B-IBI scores were located in South Fork Battle Creek while the other three were scattered in North Fork Battle Creek including one high elevation site in the wilderness of Lassen Volcanic National Park" Terraqua (2004).

This chart shows the Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI), which is a combination of 10 aquatic insect metrics, for all Battle Creek Watershed Assessment sites measured in Fall 2001, Spring 2002 and Fall 2002. The B-IBI has a maximum score of 50 and streams in good health have scores of 44 or higher and those with scores lower than 27 are most impaired (Karr, 1991). The greatest diversity is in lower Digger Creek (#007), Summit Creek (#001) and South Fork Digger Creek on USFS lands (#026) and on private lands just downstream (#063). The least diverse aquatic macronivertebrate communities were at sites #016 (Bailey Creek) and #019 (SF Battle). Data from Ward and Kvam (2003) but chart from KRIS Battle Creek V 2.0.

For other examples of aquatic macroinvertebrate results see related KRIS Topics or the Battle Creek WA (Terraqua, 2004).

References

Erman, N.A. 1996. Status of Aquatic Invertebrates. In Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project: Final report to Congress. Vol. 35. University of California at Davis, Centers for Water and Wildland Resources. 22 p.

Hafele, R. and M. Mulvey. 1998. Stream macroinvertebrate protocol. Oregon Plan for salmon and watersheds. March 1998 draft. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, DEQ Laboratory, Portland, OR.

Hawkins, C.P. 2001. Summary of initial development and testing of a RIVPACS-type model for assessing the biological condition of streams in Region 5 USDA Forest Service. Draft progress report prepared for the US Forest Service, Region 5, Vallejo, CA.

Karr, J.R. 1991. Biological integrity: A long-neglected aspect of water resource management. Ecological Applications 1:66-84.

Reynolds, Keith M. 2001. Fuzzy logic knowledge bases in integrated landscape assessment: examples and possibilities. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW- GTR-521. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 24 p.

Terraqua, Inc. 2004. Battle Creek Watershed Assessment :Characterization of stream conditions and an investigation of sediment source factors in 2001 and 2002. Performed under contract to the Battle Creek Watershed Conservancy, Manton, CA. Funds from the Anadromous Fisheries Restoration Program and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under Agreement DCN: 11330-1-J113.

Ward, M. and B. Kvam. 2003. Characterization of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in Battle Creek in 2001 and 2002 to support watershed assessment and future monitoring. Kvam Aquatic Sciences, Kirkland, WA and Terraqua Inc., Wauconda, WA. 29 pp.