Stream bioMonitoring
Biomonitoring is the assessment of environmental health by inventorying the living creatures in the discreet environment. The Anoka Conservation District's stream biomonitoring focuses on benthic (bottom dwelling) macroinvertebrates (macro: large enough to see without a microscope; invertebrate: without a backbone), including aquatic insects, snails, leeches, clams, and crayfish. Macroinvertebrates spend all or part of their life cycle within the water. Certain macroinvertebrates, such as stoneflies, require high quality streams, while others, such as midges, thrive in poor quality streams. Because of their extended exposure to stream conditions and sensitivity to habitat and water quality, they can serve as indicators of stream quality. There are published pollution tolerance values for most macroinvertebrate families. We sample stream macroinvertebrates in May and October to assess stream health.
ACD involves student and citizen volunteers in the biomonitoring efforts. High school science classes have become the primary volunteers. The experience affords students an opportunity to learn scientific methodologies and become involved in management of natural resources locally. The ACD provides technical assistance and equipment to make this experience feasible for teachers, and guidance to ensure the results are reliable. Many schools have incorporated stream biomonitoring into graduation standards. Typically there are about seven high schools and 350+ students involved each year.
Volunteers Monitoring Area Streams
| Volunteers | Stream |
|---|---|
| Andover High School | Coon Creek |
| Anoka High School | Rum River (near Anoka) |
| Blaine High School | Pleasure Creek |
| Centennial High School | Clearwater Creek |
| Anoka Conservation District | Trott Brook Ford Brook |
| Anoka Conservation District | Seelye Brook Cedar Creek |
| Totino Grace High School | Rice Creek |
| St. Francis High School | Rum River (in St. Francis) |
| Forest Lake Area Learning Center | Hardwood Creek |
The Anoka County biomonitoring program is part of a metro-wide program. All metro counties except Ramsey have a stream biomonitoring program. Each county used identical methodologies and communicate regularly.