Biological Stream MonitoringThe Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the University Hygienic Laboratory (UHL) have sampled fish and benthic macroinvertebrates to assess the biological integrity of Iowa's streams and rivers.
This report describes a framework for conducting stream bioassessments and how it is used to evaluate the biological condition of Iowa's wadeable rivers and streams.
Sites that are sampled or "tested" to determine how much a stream's biological health is impacted by disturbances such as channelization, livestock grazing, manure spills, wastewater discharges and urban runoff.
Sampling sites representing stream conditions that are least disturbed by human activities, and are used to set biological criteria for measuring the health of other streams.
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