Louisville District Water Quality & Biological Data Collection

December 21, 2018

MAD Scientist Associates was selected by the United State Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to collect biotic, physical, and chemical data for streams flowing into two public reservoirs, CJ Brown and Caesar Creek, covering 13 sites from July-October. Mark Dilley and Jenna Odegard headed field teams that collected fish, invertebrate, water chemistry data, as well as physical stream measurements. Data collected from these sites were used to evaluate health of the streams surrounding the reservoirs.

Fish populations were sampled by electrofishing, while invertebrates were collected using Hester-Dendy samplers and dip nets. The fish and invertebrate data was then evaluated using the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) and Invertebrate Community Index (ICI), respectively. Stream habitat was assessed using the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), which assigns rating scores for desirable habitat characteristics. In-situ water quality data was collected using a YSI meter. These reservoirs in the Springfield and Cincinnati area are very important for flood protection, recreation, and the wide variety of species they support. This data will be applied toward watershed management, enhancement, and protection.

See the USACE write up in this month’s Fall City Engineer publication.