Baseline Macroinvertebrate Monitoring 2015-2017 for the Upper Missouri River: Building a Long-Term Data Set – Flushing Flow Study
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UMOWA Missouri River Project Baseline Aquatic Surveys Montana Biological Survey March 2018 Baseline Macroinvertebrate Monitoring 2015-2017 for the Upper Missouri River: Building a Long-term Data Set – Flushing Flow Study Prepared for: Pete Petersen, Alan Shaw and Sherry Meador Project Managers/Co-Chairs Missouri River Monitoring Station at Cascade, MT Summer 2017 Prepared by: David Stagliano, Aquatic Ecologist Montana Biological Survey Helena, Montana March 2018 UMOWA Missouri River Project Baseline Aquatic Surveys Montana Biological Survey March 2018 Table of Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................... 3 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... 4 1.0 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 6 2.0 Methods ................................................................................................................................................ 6 2.1 Habitat and Physical Water Sampling .......................................................................................... 6 2.2 Macroinvertebrate Sampling .......................................................................................................... 7 2.3 Flushing Flow Study ........................................................................................................................ 8 2.4 Taxonomic Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 9 2.5 Sample Sites .................................................................................................................................... 9 3.0 Results ................................................................................................................................................ 13 3.1 Wolf Creek Bridge to Craig Missouri River section .................................................................. 23 3.1.1 Flushing Flow Results ............................................................................................................... 25 3.2 Missouri River U/S and D/S of the Dearborn River (MO_DEAR) ........................................... 27 3.3 Missouri River D/S Hardy Creek Bridge (MO_HARDYBR) ..................................................... 28 3.4 Missouri River near Cascade (MO_Cascade) .......................................................................... 29 3.5 Missouri River Focal Invasive Species ....................................................................................... 29 4.0 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................ 32 5.0 Literature Cited................................................................................................................................... 34 Tables Table 1. UMOWA / MDEQ Sampling Study Reach locations .................................................... 10 Table 2. Cumulative mayfly, stonefly and caddisfly (EPT) species occurrences ....................... 16 Figures Map 1. Missouri River sampling location overview .................................................................. 10 Photo 1. Hess sampling procedure in a shallow riffle area ......................................................... 7 Photo 2. Extensive weed beds growing at Hardy Bridge by the summer period … ................... 22 Figure 1. Flushing Flow Study Design ...................................................................................... 10 Figure 1a. USGS Missouri River streamflow graph for the 2017 sampling period ..................... 11 Figure 1b. USGS Missouri River streamflow graph for 2011-2017 sampling period ................. 12 2 UMOWA Missouri River Project Baseline Aquatic Surveys Montana Biological Survey March 2018 Figure 2a. Macroinvertebrate metrics densities and total taxa for all sample sites.. ................... 17 Figure 2b. Macroinvertebrate EPT metrics for all sample sites by season. ................................ 18 Figure 2c. Macroinvertebrate metrics for all sample sites by season. ....................................... 19 Figure 2d. Macroinvertebrate metrics HBI for all sample sites by season. ................................ 20 Figure 3a. Macroinvertebrate annual metric comparisons 2015-2017. ..................................... 21 Figure 3b. Macroinvertebrate annual metric comparisons 2015-2017. ..................................... 22 Figure 4. FFS Macroinvertebrate densities at MO_LPPC_US 2015-2017. ............................... 25 Figure 5. FFS MO_LPPC_US and Craig % EPT 2015-2017. ................................................... 26 Figure 6. FFS Benthic Organic Matter through the 2017 seasons ............................................ 27 Figure 7. New Zealand mudsnail seasonal densities from 2015, 2016 & 2017. ........................ 30 Figure 8. New Zealand mudsnail annual average densities 2015-2017. ................................... 31 APPENDICES Appendix A Site Photographs Appendix B Macroinvertebrate seasonal summary metric tables Appendix C Macroinvertebate taxa list and abundance Appendix D Habitat and Physical Site Conditions Acknowledgements We would like to thank Pat Hunter, Pete Petersen, Alan Shaw and rest of the UMOWA Board for funding this project again through Montana Biological Survey (MBS). Report review and editing was provided by Braden Lewis. Field work coordination and logistics were greatly expedited by Pete Cardinal. Field survey assistance during the 2017 sampling from Becca Troianos and Jaime Larese was invaluable. I want to sincerely thank Braden Lewis for assistance with additional sample processing during the winter. All photos in the report were taken by MBS, unless otherwise noted 3 UMOWA Missouri River Project Baseline Aquatic Surveys Montana Biological Survey March 2018 Executive Summary UMOWA began the Missouri River Baseline Monitoring program in 2015, and has continued this effort into 2017. In 2015 we established seven long-term, baseline monitoring stations for sampling benthic macroinvertebrates and water chemistry within the Blue Ribbon section of the Missouri River between Wolf Creek and Cascade and two sites upstream of Canyon Ferry Lake. Aside from a long-term PPL monitoring site below Holter Dam, until the 2015 study, very few macroinvertebrate samples have been collected below the Wolf Creek Bridge (see MDEQ 2007). Therefore, the project goals of UMOWA’s program are: 1) to conduct standardized and quantitative macroinvertebrate surveys to serve as the baseline standards for future monitoring efforts within this Missouri River section 2) to establish seasonal macroinvertebrate population estimates and community characteristics to assess aquatic biointegrity and 3) to understand the insect dynamics in relation to increasing aquatic macrophyte beds, algae and minimal sediment-flushing lows. In June, July and October of 2017, we collected 70 quantitative, replicated macroinvertebrate samples, habitat data and water chemistry measurements at seven Missouri River sites. UMOWA also collected water chemistry (WQ) samples seasonally in summer and fall in 2017. Total nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the fall samples were above MDEQ’s numeric nutrient standard across the sites (see UMOWA WQ Report). Other than indirect effects of increased weed bed extents, we can find no direct correlation with the Missouri River’s (WQ) and macroinvertebrate population characteristics. Spring run-off events from Little Prickly Pear Creek and the Dearborn River continue to have significant effects on the densities and diversity of insect communities in the Missouri River below those tributaries, especially by adding mayfly (E), stonefly (P) and caddisfly (T) taxa (EPT taxa). At the Missouri River upstream of Little Prickly Pear Creek, we observed the highest densities of macroinvertebrates (>20,000 per m2) and New Zealand mudsnails (>300 per m2) since the study began; these densities were significantly “knocked-back” by high flows in June 2017, compared to summer of 2016. High densities and standing crops of Baetis (BWOs), Tricorythodes (Tricos), Chironomidae (midges), and Ephemerella (PMDs) in the spring samples within the Wolf Creek to Craig section “hatch-out” by the summer period leading to lowered summer densities of these taxa, and a dominance of non-insect taxa (scuds, sowbugs, worms and snails). EPT taxa (mostly mayflies) gradually build up their lower summer populations though the fall sampling period, but are likely hampered by aquatic vegetation growth; therefore, non-insect taxa still dominate the fall benthos at most sites upstream from the Dearborn River and in the weed beds. Percentages of sowbugs (Caecidotea), scuds (Gammarus, Hyalella and Crangonyx) and other non- insect taxa in the samples were highest during this fall period when EPT taxa contributions were lowest. Of the 20 species of caddisflies that were collected across all sites, the net spinning caddis, Cheumatopsyche and the long-horned caddis, Oecetis were usually the most prevalent. Caddisflies were more common during the spring and summer sampling periods at some sites, but as a percentage of total EPT were usually much lower than mayflies. While stonefly taxa are not