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Changes in the Conditions of the Wabash River Drainage, 1990

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Changes in the Conditions of the Wabash River Drainage, 1990 2006 . Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 115(2) :156–169 CHANGES IN THE CONDITION OF THE WABASH RIVE R DRAINAGE FROM 1990-2004 Stacey L . Sobat, Charles C. Morris, and Alison K. Stephan : Biological Studie s Section, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, 100 North Senat e Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 US A Thomas P . Simon : U.S . Fish and Wildlife Service, 620 S . Walker Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47403 US A ABSTRACT . The Wabash River drainage was evaluated based on three hydrologic watershed units tha t were sampled from 1990–2004 so that patterns in biological integrity and assessment of aquatic lif e designated uses could be determined. The three units included : 1) the West Fork and lower White River, 2) the East Fork White River, and 3) the remainder of the Indiana portions of the Wabash River system above its confluence with the Ohio River . Targeted sampling was done in each of the three watershed units from 1990–1995, while a random probability sample design was used from 1996–2004 . Assessment of the fish assemblage information for the three periods showed increasing biological integrity for eac h of the three watersheds . The watershed with the highest biological integrity was the East Fork White River, followed by the West Fork White River, and Wabash River . Aquatic life designated uses were met in 76% of the East Fork White River stream miles ; 62% of the West Fork and lower White rivers ; and 53% of the Wabash River stream miles . Keywords : Biotic integrity, biological assessment, probabilistic design, Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) The mandate of water quality monitorin g ten degrade the environment, resulting in a de- agencies is to assess the condition of the wa- tectable decline in biological integrity . ters of the United States and to report on thei r When comparing all streams in Nort h status . As new tools are developed (Morris et America, large rivers are disproportionatel y al. 2006) and indices are calibrated (Simon degraded (Karr et al . 1985; Poff et al . 1997) . 1992; Simon Stahl 1998 ; Simon in review) , The loss of biological integrity in these larg e increasingly more accurate assessments of th e river systems is the result of widespread lan d status of these waters can be generated whic h use changes and anthropogenic land scale dis- will allow for more emphasis to be placed o n turbance . Few studies have evaluated the restoration of vulnerable and threatened sys- long-term changes in biological integrity i n tems, as well as protection of high quality wa- drainage units as large as the Wabash River, ters. Over the last two decades monitorin g with emphasis on large mainstem river s tools developed in Indiana have focused pri- (Hughes et al . 2005). marily on the use of biological indicators (Si- The purpose of the current study was to mon 1992; Simon Dufour 1998; Simon document changes in three hydrologic water- 2006) . shed units within the Wabash River drainag e An environment that supports an assem- from 1990–2004 . We compared changes dur- blage of organisms similar to that produce d ing three assessment periods and the status o f by long-term evolutionary processes is con- the watershed based on a stratified probability sidered to have high biological integrity . Bi- based approach . ological integrity has been defined as "the ability to support and maintain a balanced, in- METHOD S tegrated adaptive assemblage of organism s Study area .—The Wabash River is the having species composition, diversity, and largest northern tributary of the Ohio River functional organization comparable to that o f and is the longest free-flowing large river eas t natural habitat of the region " (Karr Dudley of the Mississippi . For this study, the Wabash 1981 ; Karr et al . 1986) . Human activities of- River drainage was divided into three water - 156 SOBAT ET AL. CONDITION OF THE WABASH RIVER 157 shed study areas based on 8-digit hydrologi c Table 1 . Total IBI score, integrity class and at- units as defined by the U .S . Geological Sur- tributes to define the fish assemblage characteristic s vey (USGS) . The Wabash River and its direc t in Indiana streams and rivers (modified from Kar r tributaries include the headwater areas from et al. 1986). the State of Ohio to its confluence with th e Ohio River (Posey County) . The other two Total IBI Integrity score class Attributes drainage units include the largest tributaries o f the Wabash River, which are the East an d 5360 Excellent Comparable to "least im- West Forks of the White River. Together thes e pacted" conditions, ex- three drainage units represent nearly two - ceptional assemblage of thirds of the total area of central Indiana and species . encompass portions of the Eastern Corn Bel t 4552 Good Decreased species richnes s Plain (ECBP), which is primarily rowcrop ag- (intolerant species in par- ticular), sensitive specie riculture, and the Interior River Lowlan s d present . (IRL), which includes forest landscapes, a s Fair Intolerant and sensitive spe - well as oil, gas, and coal exploration land use 3544 s cies absent, skewed tro- (Omernik Gallant 1988) . phic structure. Study design. The State of Indiana uses 2334 Poor Top carnivores and many a Probabilistic Monitoring Program a s one expected species absen t portion of the states comprehensive strategy or rare, omnivores an d to provide an evaluation of stream water qual- tolerant species dominant . ity and biological integrity in major basins o f 1222 Very poor Few species and individual s Indiana. The probability design generates sta- present, tolerant species tistically valid estimates of the percent of total dominant, diseased fish stream miles impaired for aquatic life and rec- frequent. reational uses . <12 No fish No fish captured during Three hydrologic units in the Wabash River sampling. drainage were assessed based on a random , stratified probabilistic design (Messer et al . 1991) . The Probabilistic Monitoring Program selection was stratified to ensure streams o f divided the state into nine major watersheds all sizes/orders (Strahler 1952) were sampled that are sampled once every five years, pro- allowing for a spatially accurate representa- viding a complete assessment of the entir e tion of the various stream sizes (USEPA 1994 ; state. USGS 1994) . Sites were generated using U.S. Environ- Three study periods included the baseline mental Protection Agency (USEPA) Environ- study that was conducted from 1990—199 5 mental Monitoring and Assessment Progra m and two rounds of the probability samplin g (EMAP) selection methods, which used ran- that included the periods 1996—1999 an d domly selected sites to assess and characteriz e 2001—2004 . the overall water quality and biotic integrit y Field collection. Fish assemblages wer e of the study basin (USEPA 1994 ; USGS assessed using a variety of electrofishin g 1994) . The target population was defined a s equipment . Small streams (<3 .3 m wetted all perennial streams within the geographi c width) were sampled using either backpack o r boundaries of Indiana for the basin of interest . long-line electrofishing units ; wadeable "Perennial" for the purpose of the Probabilis- streams (>3 .3 m wetted width) were sampled tic Monitoring Program was defined as wate r using long-line or tote-barge electrofishin g present in at least 50% of the stream reach equipment; large river (non-wadeable >2580 (reach was defined as 15 times the averag e km drainage area) and great river (>5956.97 wetted width of the stream, minimum 50 m , km) reaches were sampled using boat mount- maximum 500 m) . The sample population in- ed electrofishing units . Sampling was con- cluded all rivers, streams, canals, and ditches ducted along a linear reach of stream base d as indexed through the USEPA River Reach on 15 times the wetted width with minimu m File 3 excluding marshes, wetlands, backwa- distances of 50 m and maximum distances o f ters, impoundments, dry and tiled sites . Site 500 m (500 m each bank for large rivers) . All 158 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE C C 0, I M O O O C dl C01 a, N M N 0 vO o N M M C a \ C N n 71- C M N r 'O 00 01 N 0 N tr) 0 N W Ct O m O 0 0 > acd O tUi O r: U ,o b,O 72 by • U • co co q • 'r., O~. by O 1 Q y., • N O O bq ~ Q S C r t-i U +~ N 0 , O q 0 O N N?, p, • q y O r., ▪ O E .~ K COC O O 5 r„ 5 j, 0 TJ :O O 0 d O O h ..~ v 0 atititi~l~l a~ j~ ~~ Q Q Ar a • ▪ U SOBAT ET AL .—CONDITION OF THE WABASH RIVE R 15 9 0d- N N N V O N c+7 r--- N Tr l N NC N O d- Tr 0 N d\ o\ 00 N I M O a\o ° o o\N cc 41 N D1 N ' N C N N Co) Ct ,-i O NN 0 0 -- N a\ M 00 N d- O N N ID O NO N co-) co O N a\ a 0o O vO N N V N co`, – .--1 00 tcf 00 N N d ti M N 00 --~ 41 d1 Co) M— d- N 00 O N 00 O , -, co) r a, D\ M col N co N cNA ON N O N 0 co di- O N 00 co) O a 90 O M C O or N VO a o ~O co) to Vl M C to \o M N -OC 00 9ol C N N col - N co) N co) N N ~ V1 r N •--i 00 N O O N Co) M C Col 0 ~O Qv NO cc N N N N VO N .- .
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