A bioassessment approach for mid-continent great rivers: the Upper Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio (USA)

Abstract

The objectives of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program for Great River Ecosystems (EMAP-GRE) are to (1) develop and demonstrate, in collaboration with states, an assessment program yielding spatially unbiased estimates of the condition of mid-continent great rivers; (2) evaluate environmental indicators for assessing great rivers; and (3) assess the current condition of selected great river resources. The purpose of this paper is to describe EMAP-GRE using examples based on data collected in 2004-2006 with emphasis on an approach to determining reference conditions. EMAP-GRE includes the Upper Mississippi River, the Missouri River, and the Ohio River. Indicators include biotic assemblages (fish, macroinvertebrates, plankton, algae), water chemistry, and aquatic and riparian physical habitat. Reference strata (river reaches for which a single reference expectation is appropriate) were determined by ordination of the fish assemblage and examination of spatial variation in environmental variables. Least disturbed condition of fish assemblages for reference strata was determined by empirical modeling in which we related fish assemblage metrics to a multimetric stressor gradient. We inferred least disturbed condition from the y-intercept, the predicted condition when stress was least. Thresholds for dividing the resource into management-relevant condition classes for biotic indicators were derived using predicted least disturbed condition to set the upper bound on the least disturbed condition class. Also discussed are the outputs of EMAP-GRE, including the assessment document, multimetric indices of condition, and unbiased data supporting state and tribal Clean Water Act reporting, adaptive management, and river restoration.

Phytoplankton abundance and contributions to suspended particulate matter in the Ohio, Upper Mississippi and Missouri Rivers

“…In addition, dams are present on a number of tributaries in all three basins. Angradi et al 2009). EMAP design algorithms were applied to GIS-based representations of the Ohio River (from Pittsburgh to its confluence with the Mississippi), the Upper Mississippi River (from Minneapolis to its confluence with the Ohio River) and the Missouri River (from Fort Peck Dam, Montana to its confluence with the Mississippi River).…”

“…A composite sample (4L) was obtained by pooling water pumped from three depths (near surface, midpoint, near bottom) at each of the three sampling locations (Angradi 2006). The composite sample was used to determine chlorophyll a (CHLa), total suspended solids (TSS), nutrients (dissolved and particulate fractions of N and P) and particulate organic carbon (POC).…”

Nitrogen removal by streams and rivers of the Upper Mississippi River basin

“…Such analyses can be limited by the availability of data that are comparable and representative of streams across all orders, size classes, and watershed land use characteristics, Our study takes advantage of survey data collected to assess water quality and biological condition of streams and rivers of the U.S. including the Missouri, Ohio, and Upper Mississippi Rivers (Olsen and Peck 2008;Angradi et al 2009). Our objective is to use measured stream chemistry and hydrogeomorphology in N removal models to predict NO 3 -N removal in the Mississippi River basin.…”

Monitoring the health of large rivers with macroinvertebrates: Do dominant taxa help or hinder the assessment?

“…! 9th order; sensu Angradi et al, 2009a), can be affected by the dominance of a few macroinvertebrate species that exploit the natural abundance of suspended or benthic fine particulate organic matter (e.g. Vannote et al, 1980;Minshall et al, 1992).…”