BIOASSESEMENT

This is a measurable assessment of the longterm health of a stream by examination of the aquatic invertebrates that live in the water.  Many insect taxa have aquatic larvae which inhabit a stream from several months to several years.  Larval groups have differential tolerances to stream conditions including pollution.  There are different feeding methods requiring certain conditions for obtaining food, anchoring in the substrate of the stream, etc.

Biologic sample being collected and tagged for analysis.

Chemical condition of a stream or lake can indicate how well organisms are able to live in the stream.  Nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates, and potassium are needed but are detrimental in excessive amounts.  Dissolved oxygen is required by fish and other organisms for survival, and low levels can indicate overgrowth by algae for instance.  Pollutants such as heavy metals (eg, nickel, cadmium, chromium VI) are highly toxic to aquatic organisms.  Measuring these chemicals over time can yield some information about the health of the water.  However, such measurements can only represent specific points in time.  Nontheless, there is a benefit in that many of these parameters can be easily determined without major equipment.  Unfortunately, it is more expensive and difficult to measure metals and pesticides, so these are only measured for specific purposes.

Collectiong water samples.	Using a net to collect benthic macroinvertebrates.

TRAINING

Stream Team members undergo extensive training in the standard methods for sampling and analyzing acroinvertebrates in streams.  We are also concerned with educating the public about the importance of preserving and restoring good water quality in the San Diego County watersheds.

Classroom training in the principles of bioassessment

The two major skills needed for complying with the EPA guidelines are the sampling protocol and the identification of the macroinvertebrates.  New volunteers are trained in a two-day workshop usually held on weekends during the fall and spring.  Actual samples are collected by the trainees and analyzed on the second day.  Following the two-day session, trainees accompany team members on several collecting trips until they are confident that they can properly collect samples.  The analysis of samples can occur anytime volunteers choose to get together in small groups and trainees can then practice under the guidance of experts.  Ultimately, random samples are sent to professional labs for quality control.  This important oversight validates our work so that it can be used by governmental agencies.    

In addition to training citizen monitors, the Stream Team is especially interested in educating the public about the importance of the watershed for clean water.  One of our efforts is to establish Stream Team Chapters in which volunteers who can lead small groups of students or other trained groups can work more independently.  In addition, we work in association with other groups on local environmental projects.     For more information about workshops contact the Stream Team at info@sdstreamteam.org

History of Citizen Monitoring in the U.S.

   Volunteer water monitoring began in the 1920's when the Izaak Walton League of America was formed by anglers who wanted to protect the precious rivers.  Their first successful effort resulted in the designation of the upper Mississippi Fish and Wildlike Refuge  in 1924.  This effort expanded to a national scale with the formation of Maryland's Save Our Streams program in 1969.  The Maryland Department of Natural Resources was convinced to support the project and the national program was launched. 

   The first screening efforts were for obvious trash and visual evidence of pollution, but that was replaced first by chemical monitoring and later by biological monitoring based upon the aquatic flora of the streams.  Chemical monitoring is easier, but it only indicates the immediate chemical condition of the water.  In contrast, bioassessment reflects the quality over time by determining the presence or absence of pollution-tolerant insect group that have lived in the stream for their lifetime which may be months.

    California has been slow to adopt citizen monitoring compared to the rest of the country, possibly because our concern has been quantity rather than quality.  However, increasing concerns about water conservation have spurred an interest in the quality.  The existing laws are sufficient to protect our water supplies, but there is inadequate funding for government agencies to collect the data that would allow an evaluation of quality, delineate problems, and lead to solutions.  This is where citizens can perform a great service.  Properly trained individuals can collect and analyze data using the methodology established by the EPA protocol.  Such data, when verified by a professional, is usable in a variety of way by state, regional, and federal agencies.