About VSMPSince 2012 the Benzie Conservation District has been working with caring volunteers to help assess the quality and health the Benzie County’s lotic (flowing) waters. As part of Michigan Clean Water Corps’ Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program (VSMP) our teams have been collecting aquatic macroinvertebrates at nine sites within the Platte, Betsie and Herring Lakes watersheds. Based on the types (taxonomic orders and families) of macroinvertebrates collected we can compute a Stream Quality Index (SQI) score for each site which will be used to track changes in water quality over time.
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Volunteer Information
If you are interested in joining us or want to learn more please contact conservation specialist John Ransom at 231-882-4391 or [email protected]. All ages and experience levels welcome. Sampling gear, waders, and lunch will be provided.
VSMP is a biannual stream quality sampling event that takes place in the Spring and Fall. Volunteers assist with the collection of macroinvertebrates from multiple sites along the Platte and Betsie rivers. First time volunteers will be responsible for sorting through the samples, picking out the macroinvertebrates from the rocks and leaves, and putting them in a collection jar. No training is required and this is a great way to get introduced to the steam monitoring process and the interesting creatures that live in our rivers. Volunteers can also participate in the collection of samples if they are familiar with native aquatic habitats or are willing to undergo training in order to become familiar with the habitats. For more information Check out our Quality Assurance Project Plan.
If you have any questions or are interested in participating in our next collection event, please contact our conservation specialist, John Ransom, at 231-882-4391 or [email protected].
If you have any questions or are interested in participating in our next collection event, please contact our conservation specialist, John Ransom, at 231-882-4391 or [email protected].
Check out some photos from our sampling events!
Stream Monitoring Results
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Click on the images above for that year's report!
What did we find?
Aquatic macroinvertebrates are a diverse group of organisms that can be found in freshwater systems around the world. Each taxa (i.e. group: order, family, species) has a certain level of tolerances to water and habitat qualities in order to survive. In other words, more tolerant species can survive in a board range of habitats including polluted areas with poor water quality and sensitive groups live in a smaller range of high quality waters. Armed with this information we can use macroinvertebrates to “tell” us about the health in our streams.
We have tracked Stream Quality Index, EPT families (mayflies, stone files, caddis flies), Hilsenhoff Biological Index, total number of macroinvertebrates collected, and number of macroinvertebrate families collected every spring and fall since 2012. Below are our results to date. If you have any questions or would like to join our collection events please contact Conservation Specialist John Ransom at john.benziecd.org or at (231) 882-4391 x 13.
What is Stream Quality Index?
To measure stream quality index (SQI), macroinvertebrates are categorized into three groups based on their tolerance level: 1) sensitive (only live in high quality streams), 2) somewhat-sensitive (live in a board range of high to moderate quality streams), and 3) tolerant (can live in polluted and poor quality waters). Groupings are weighted to account for discrepancies in pollution tolerances with Group 1 organisms weighted higher than Group 2, and Group 2 higher than Group 3. Species abundance is also accounted for in the weighting scale with higher sample counts for each order receiving a higher weight than lower sample counts (with the exception Group 3). Macroinvertebrates within a stream sample are identified to the necessary taxonomic level, recorded and scored.
We have tracked Stream Quality Index, EPT families (mayflies, stone files, caddis flies), Hilsenhoff Biological Index, total number of macroinvertebrates collected, and number of macroinvertebrate families collected every spring and fall since 2012. Below are our results to date. If you have any questions or would like to join our collection events please contact Conservation Specialist John Ransom at john.benziecd.org or at (231) 882-4391 x 13.
What is Stream Quality Index?
To measure stream quality index (SQI), macroinvertebrates are categorized into three groups based on their tolerance level: 1) sensitive (only live in high quality streams), 2) somewhat-sensitive (live in a board range of high to moderate quality streams), and 3) tolerant (can live in polluted and poor quality waters). Groupings are weighted to account for discrepancies in pollution tolerances with Group 1 organisms weighted higher than Group 2, and Group 2 higher than Group 3. Species abundance is also accounted for in the weighting scale with higher sample counts for each order receiving a higher weight than lower sample counts (with the exception Group 3). Macroinvertebrates within a stream sample are identified to the necessary taxonomic level, recorded and scored.
Understanding Macroinvertebrate Family Data
Identifying our macroinvertebrate samples to the family taxonomic level can give us more precise data and a more complete understanding of stream health. For example, the order Ephemeroptera (mayflies) is typically associated with high water quality, which is true in general. However, some mayflies do not need high water quality to survive and may be present in water typically associated with very poor water quality. Additionally, identifying our samples to a lower taxonomic level gives us a better understanding of the diversity of the macroinvertebrate communities in our streams.
Identifying our macroinvertebrate samples to the family taxonomic level can give us more precise data and a more complete understanding of stream health. For example, the order Ephemeroptera (mayflies) is typically associated with high water quality, which is true in general. However, some mayflies do not need high water quality to survive and may be present in water typically associated with very poor water quality. Additionally, identifying our samples to a lower taxonomic level gives us a better understanding of the diversity of the macroinvertebrate communities in our streams.
The Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI)
The HBI estimates the overall tolerance of the community in a sampled area, weighted by the relative abundance of each taxonomic group (family, genus, etc.). Organisms are assigned a tolerance number from 0 to 10 pertaining to that group's known sensitivity to organic pollutants; 0 being most sensitive, 10 being most tolerant.
Source: Hilsenhoff, William L. "Rapid field assessment of organic pollution with a family-level biotic index." Journal of the North American Benthological Society 7.1 (1988): 65-68.
The HBI estimates the overall tolerance of the community in a sampled area, weighted by the relative abundance of each taxonomic group (family, genus, etc.). Organisms are assigned a tolerance number from 0 to 10 pertaining to that group's known sensitivity to organic pollutants; 0 being most sensitive, 10 being most tolerant.
Source: Hilsenhoff, William L. "Rapid field assessment of organic pollution with a family-level biotic index." Journal of the North American Benthological Society 7.1 (1988): 65-68.
