Survey of National and Wisconsin Stream Resources

Camille BruhnWisconsin Department of Natural Resources-

Madison, WI

Overview:

• Study purpose

• Survey design

• Previous results

• Next steps

Purpose of the NRSA• Nationwide

–Assess Nation’s rivers and streams

– Evaluate physical, chemical, biological features

–Determine stressors to biology

–Health indicators

– Changes over time: 2003, 2008

• Wisconsin– Replicate national methods on additional sites

Survey Design

• Random sample -unbiased data

• Past ignored:–Small streams

–Streams w/o game fish

• Random sites

• Earth’s circumference is 25,000 miles

• 42,000 miles of perennial streams in WI

National Survey Design

• Random sample stratified by:– Strahler

stream order

– Ecoregion

EPA 2013

WI Survey Design

• WI specifically

• 2 ecoregions–Upper Midwest

– Temperate Plains

WI Survey Design• Enhance national design

25 National sites+25 additional sites=50 sites in WI

First Order Stream

Fourth Order Stream

• Sampling sites are random• Survey reach 40 x msw

Data Collected–Physical habitat

• Thalweg depth• Substrate type• Riparian habitat,

etc.

–Water chemistry• Phosphorus• Nitrogen• Conductivity• Total suspended

solids, etc.

–Biology• Fish (electrofishing)• Macroinvertebrates• Periphyton

National Survey Results (2008)

• Overall Biological Condition:–Stop light

colors

National Survey Results (2008)• Physical and

chemical stressors

• Nutrients:– 44% had excessive

levels of phosphorus

–29% had high levels of nitrogen

Next Steps• Few examples of

results presented

• Quality of streams and stressors

• Begin data analysis and reporting

• Summer 2014-boatable rivers

2014 Boatable sites in WI

Summary• Purpose:– used as national and state assessment

• Design:–Biological, chemical, physical parameters

• Results: –EPA’s 2008 results

• Next steps: –2013 data compilation and analysis–Prepare for 2014 study (boatables)

Collaborators- Mike Miller, April Marcangeli, Ben Balika, Nick Ostroski, Mari Nord (EPA- not pictured)

and Peggy Donnelly (EPA- not pictured)

Questions?http://water.epa.gov/type/rsl/monitoring/riverssurvey/index.cfm