Benthic Macroinvertebrates Sample Clauses

Benthic Macroinvertebrates. Benthic macroinvertebrates samples were collected in autumn of 1998 and spring, summer, and autumn of 1999- 2002 to evaluate pre-BMP community structure (1998-2000) as well as changes in the community during the implementation phase (2001-2002). A stratified random sampling design was used in which xxxxxx, run, and glide/pool habitats were sampled in proportion to their occurrence at the sites. Most macroinvertebrates were identified to the family taxonomic level with the more sensitive families (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera; EPT taxa) identified to genus. Processing of samples from 2000 - 2002 is ongoing, but baseline data for sites in 1998 – 1999 and summer of 2000 have been analyzed. Taxa richness, density, percent composition, and biotic indices (Family Biotic Index; Percent Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera), are used to assess responses of invertebrates to Best Management Practices. Monitoring individual BMPs in the Court Creek watershed began in 2000, using the same sampling protocols used to assess effects of BMPs at the watershed scale. This sampling focused on two pool and xxxxxx sites on North Creek (a tributary to Court Creek). Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Technical Efforts have continued, during the 2003 reporting period for Illinois CREP, to document the location and nature of active enrollments in CREP as well as that of other active USDA conservation easements (i.e., CRP, EQIP, WRP) throughout the Illinois River basin using three information systems managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The oldest of these systems is the GIS/PC-based CREP documents the general location of all Illinois CREP contracts (USDA and State) based on the Illinois Public Land Survey System section location(s) of practices implemented under those enrollments. Since its inception in 1999, the CREP Enrollment Database has been regularly updated with new enrollment data gathered from monthly CREP enrollment reports submitted by Illinois’ FSA county service center offices and provided to IDNR by the Illinois State FSA office. The system also incorporates data from IDNR’s tabular State CREP contract database. During 2003, 255 new contracts were added to the CREP Enrollment Database and 34 culled out due to cancellations from the program. A total of 5,280 CREP enrollments (4,301 USDA and 979 State) encompassing 150,442 acres (USDA and State contract additional acreage combined) are now documented in th...

Benthic Macroinvertebrates. Assessment should indicate a mean IBI score on replicated sites that is the same or higher than previous sampling efforts. The IBI scores for the three years of post-remediation sampling will be averaged and compared to the IBI scores from 2011 baseline surveys at the same sites. Post-remediation IBI scores should predominantly fall into the fair to excellent rating. The tributaries that were sampled are not part of the AOC boundaries and no habitat improvements were completed there, so comparisons for purposes of relating to the XXXx will only include sites within the actual AOC boundary on the mainstem of the Sheboygan River. Information on the tributaries was collected to help evaluate the food sources they were supplying to the AOC, but this will not contribute to the XXX removal. A mean IBI score the same or higher will indicate that adequate progress has been made for the AOC.