An assessment of aquatic macroinvertebrate structure and function within the Mill Creek Watershed; Cincinnati, Ohio
Start Date
2023 2:15 PM
Location
Alter Hall Poster Session 1 - 2nd floor
Abstract
The Mill Creek Watershed is an urbanized network of streams that drains through the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. This watershed has had a long history of habitat destruction and pollution due to a variety of anthropogenic factors, namely Cincinnati’s combined sewage overflow (CSO) sanitation system. Through an ongoing biomonitoring project at Xavier University, nine sites along the mainstem Mill Creek and three of its tributaries have been studied since 2014. Through habitat assessments, fecal coliform testing, and aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling, the ecological health of this watershed can be tracked over time. The main objective of this research project was to assess aquatic macroinvertebrate structure and function within the Mill Creek Watershed during summer (June-August) 2022. Standardized riffle sampling using a D-frame net and Surber sampler was used to collect quantitative macroinvertebrate samples from benthic riffle habitats (n=3) from nine sites within four streams of the Mill Creek Watershed. Structural analyses including Shannon diversity, proportion of tolerant taxa (% Chironomidae), and proportion of sensitive taxa (% EPT) indicate general patterns of higher water quality in upstream locations within individual tributaries as well as across the entire watershed. Functional analyses including relative functional feeding group abundance (% FFG) and ecosystem parameter ratios indicate that the streams studied are largely dominated by gathering collectors, are heterotrophic and lack significant amounts of coarse particulate matter (CPOM). Baseline data from this study in combination with previous years will help managers identify temporal and spatial changes, including potential benefits from ongoing restoration efforts throughout the watershed.
An assessment of aquatic macroinvertebrate structure and function within the Mill Creek Watershed; Cincinnati, Ohio
Alter Hall Poster Session 1 - 2nd floor
The Mill Creek Watershed is an urbanized network of streams that drains through the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. This watershed has had a long history of habitat destruction and pollution due to a variety of anthropogenic factors, namely Cincinnati’s combined sewage overflow (CSO) sanitation system. Through an ongoing biomonitoring project at Xavier University, nine sites along the mainstem Mill Creek and three of its tributaries have been studied since 2014. Through habitat assessments, fecal coliform testing, and aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling, the ecological health of this watershed can be tracked over time. The main objective of this research project was to assess aquatic macroinvertebrate structure and function within the Mill Creek Watershed during summer (June-August) 2022. Standardized riffle sampling using a D-frame net and Surber sampler was used to collect quantitative macroinvertebrate samples from benthic riffle habitats (n=3) from nine sites within four streams of the Mill Creek Watershed. Structural analyses including Shannon diversity, proportion of tolerant taxa (% Chironomidae), and proportion of sensitive taxa (% EPT) indicate general patterns of higher water quality in upstream locations within individual tributaries as well as across the entire watershed. Functional analyses including relative functional feeding group abundance (% FFG) and ecosystem parameter ratios indicate that the streams studied are largely dominated by gathering collectors, are heterotrophic and lack significant amounts of coarse particulate matter (CPOM). Baseline data from this study in combination with previous years will help managers identify temporal and spatial changes, including potential benefits from ongoing restoration efforts throughout the watershed.
