Macroinvertebrate Monitoring
Superior Rivers Watershed Association is seeking volunteers to assist with spring and fall aquatic macroinvertebrate (bug) monitoring fieldwork. No experience necessary – all equipment and training provided!
We will be hosting two training sessions leading up to the monitoring window: one is virtual and the other is in-person outdoors. Only one is required to participate in fieldwork. If this is your first time taking the training, we recommend attending the in-person training.
The training sessions will teach you what you need to know about collecting aquatic invertebrates for our water quality monitoring program. The virtual session will consist of a Powerpoint with instructional videos and a Q&A with our volunteer coordinator. The in-person, outdoor sessions will be hands-on instruction in a stream.
Volunteer Sign up
Volunteer Description
For more information on what becoming a Macroinvertebrate sampler entails, please read the PDF to the left.
Why we Collect Macroinvertebrates
Although water quality measurements like pH and temperature give us physical information about the aquatic habitats in streams and rivers, they only show us a momentary snapshot of those habitats. We also use a longer-term measurement based on the insect communities living in these waters. Twice a year we collect samples of the macro invertebrates (insect larva) living in the streams, identify and classify them based on their tolerance to pollution levels, and calculate an overall score or index for each site. There are no State standards for this index, but years of research has validated how well the calculated score correlates with the overall health of the habitat. This score is formally called the Hilsenhoff biotic index or HBI.
To the right there is a copy of the monitoring instructions, and the monitoring data sheet. There is also a copy of the raw unedited macroinvertebrate data (there is data that has been flagged, and might have typos, reach out to the Water Quality Volunteer Coordinator with any questions)
For more information or questions please contact the Water Quality Volunteer Coordinator Will@superiorrivers.org