Summary Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Summary Report NCWCD Benthic Macroinvertebrate Biomonitoring Program 2015 Prepared for: Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District Berthoud, Colorado Prepared by: David E. Rees Timberline Aquatics, Inc. 4219 Table Mountain Place, Suite A Fort Collins, Colorado 80526 17 August 2016 Summary Report NCWCD Benthic Macroinvertebrate Biomonitoring Program 2015 Prepared for: Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District Berthoud, Colorado Prepared by: David E. Rees Timberline Aquatics, Inc. 4219 Table Mountain Place, Suite A Fort Collins, Colorado 80526 17 August 2016 Table of Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Objectives ........................................................................................................................... 2 Study Area .......................................................................................................................... 3 Methods............................................................................................................................... 7 Alternative Analysis Tools (aMIS) ................................................................................. 8 Other Analysis Tools .................................................................................................... 10 CDPHE Tools (MMI) ................................................................................................... 11 Biotype 2 Metrics ...................................................................................................... 12 Biotype 1 Metrics ...................................................................................................... 13 Results ............................................................................................................................... 15 Spring Sampling - 2015 ................................................................................................ 15 West Slope ................................................................................................................ 15 East Slope.................................................................................................................. 19 Fall Sampling - 2015 ..................................................................................................... 24 West Slope ................................................................................................................ 24 East Slope.................................................................................................................. 30 Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 35 Traditional Analysis and aMIS ..................................................................................... 35 West Slope ................................................................................................................ 35 East Slope.................................................................................................................. 39 Data Analysis Using CDPHE Tools (MMI) ................................................................. 42 Literature Cited ................................................................................................................. 48 Appendix A ..................................................................................................................... A-1 Appendix B ..................................................................................................................... B-1 Appendix C ..................................................................................................................... C-1 Appendix D ..................................................................................................................... D-1 ________________________________________________________________________ Biomonitoring Summary Report Page i Timberline Aquatics, Inc. 17 August 2016 List of Tables Table 1. Description of benthic biomonitoring sites. ......................................................... 3 Table 2. UTM coordinates and elevation for West Slope sample sites. ............................ 4 Table 3. UTM coordinates and elevation for East Slope sample sites............................... 5 Table 4. Individual metric values and aMIS scores for macroinvertebrate samples collected from the upper Colorado River drainage on 21 April 2015. ....................... 16 Table 5. Relative abundance of functional feeding groups for spring 2015 sampling at NCWCD West Slope study sites................................................................................. 18 Table 6. Individual metric values and aMIS scores for macroinvertebrate samples collected from East Slope sample sites on 16 April 2015. ......................................... 20 Table 7. Relative abundance of functional feeding groups for spring 2015 sampling at NCWCD East Slope study sites. ................................................................................. 23 Table 8. Individual metric values and aMIS scores for macroinvertebrate samples collected from the upper Colorado River drainage on 10 September 2015. Values highlighted in red indicate impairment based on CDPHE thresholds. ....................... 26 Table 9. Individual metric scores and MMI scores for macroinvertebrate samples collected from the upper Colorado River drainage in Biotypes 1 and 2 on 10 September 2015. MMI scores highlighted in red indicate impairment based on CDPHE thresholds. ..................................................................................................... 27 Table 10. Relative abundance of functional feeding groups for fall 2015 sampling at NCWCD West Slope study sites................................................................................. 29 Table 11. Individual metric values and aMIS scores for macroinvertebrate samples collected from East Slope sample sites on 10 September 2015. Values highlighted in red indicate impairment based on CDPHE thresholds. ............................................... 31 Table 12. Individual metric scores and MMI scores for macroinvertebrate samples collected from East Slope sample sites (Biotype 1) on 10 September 2015. MMI scores highlighted in red indicate impairment based on CDPHE thresholds. ............ 31 Table 13. Relative abundance of functional feeding groups for fall 2015 sampling at NCWCD East Slope study sites. ................................................................................. 34 Table 14. Aquatic life use designations based on MMI scores from samples collected at West Slope and East Slope sampling sites during September of 2015. ...................... 47 ________________________________________________________________________ Biomonitoring Summary Report Page ii Timberline Aquatics, Inc. 17 August 2016 List of Figures Figure 1. Map of West Slope NCWCD macroinvertebrate sample sites.. ......................... 5 Figure 2. Map of East Slope NCWCD macroinvertebrate sample sites ............................ 6 Figure 3. Functional feeding group composition for NCWCD West Slope study sites during spring 2015. ..................................................................................................... 19 Figure 4. Functional feeding group composition for NCWCD East Slope study sites during spring 2015. ..................................................................................................... 23 Figure 5. Functional feeding group composition for NCWCD West Slope study sites during fall 2015. .......................................................................................................... 30 Figure 6. Functional feeding group composition for NCWCD East Slope study sites during the fall of 2015................................................................................................. 34 Figure 7. aMIS (combined metric) scores for the West Slope study area during the spring of 2015. Mean values (± 1 standard deviation) are also provided based on the two previous sampling events. ........................................................................................... 38 Figure 8. aMIS (combined metric) scores for the West Slope study area during the fall of 2015. Mean values (± 1 standard deviation) are also provided based on the two previous sampling events. ........................................................................................... 38 Figure 9. aMIS scores for NCWCD biomonitoring sites from the East Slope study area during spring 2015. ..................................................................................................... 41 Figure 10. aMIS scores for NCWCD biomonitoring sites from the East Slope study area during fall 2015. .......................................................................................................... 41 Figure 11. MMI scores from samples collected at NCWCD biomonitoring sites in the West Slope study area during the fall season. MMI scores from 2015 and previous sampling events have been provided for comparison. ................................................ 43 Figure 12. MMI scores from composited quantitative (Hess) samples collected at NCWCD biomonitoring sites from the East Slope study area during fall of 2011 and 2015............................................................................................................................. 43 Figure 13. HBI values