Biological Health

Biological health of a stream is more than just the health of the fish.  It is also the bugs in the stream, and it turns out that the absolute best way to tell the health of a stream is by looking at the bugs.

Part 1: Fresh Waters Flowing

Watch the Fresh Waters Flowing movie (20 min).

Then, read/observe these two documents:

• • Bug Poster

  • Clallam County Map of Bug Survey Results (spreadsheet with bug data)

In your journal, please respond to the following prompt.

* How can bugs in a stream tell us the health of the overall stream?

Part 2: Protocols

Watch the benthic macroinvertebrates monitoring protocol.

Read the "benthic macroinvertebrates" protocol in the Streamkeepers Procedures Manual.

Observe the benthic macroinvertebrate data sheet.

Practice the skills necessary to complete the survey.

Part 3: Bug Survey

Conduct a bug survey on a local creek to add real data.  See photos from 2018.

In 2018, we will survey Valley Creek River Mile 1.4 (48.1063626, -123.452208) on 9/20/18 and Peabody Creek River Mile 1.4 (48.0994219, -123.42839) on 9/21/18.

While surveying, students will complete the following tasks from the Streamkeepers Procedures Manual (page numbers in parentheses).

1. Dig for bugs (55-56) and Air and Water Temperature (19)

2. Sort bugs (56-58) and Photos (58)

3. Bank stability (65) and Measurements (58)

4. Dig for bugs (55-56) and Fish and wildlife species observations (47)

View the completed data sheets for Valley 1.4 and Peabody 1.4 from September, 2018.

Biological Health Extension:

Go through the resources at the Streamkeepers Biological Monitoring Site.

1. Write a one paragraph summary of what you learned from the resources on the site (use at least two and write which ones you chose).

2.   Then, evaluate the resources in one paragraph. In your evaluation, give your opinion on how appropriate the material from them would be for the rest of class, judge the pros and cons of them, and predict how well students will do with the them.  

3.   Then, write a paragraph with a recommendation for whether the resources should be used by the full class in the future.