Benthic Stream Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Report: Acadia National Park 2003-2004

Seger, Emily; Gawley, William

Following text taken from sections of the report: ' Program objectives are: 1) obtain baseline data, and provide for the assessment of long term trends and changes to benthic macroinvertebrates in selected park streams, 2) assess potential biological impacts to aquatic ecosystems and water quality from adjacent land use and other stressors in selected park streams, 3) determine applicability of MDEP modeling criteria to characterize the biological integrity of park streams, and 4) utilize MDEP expertise and monitoring protocols.' 'The ANP Benthic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Program uses a subset of park streams to represent a range of stream and watershed conditions (e.g developed/undeveloped, headwater source/stream order, burned/unburned by major fire) likely to influence stream water quality and biological integrity. Duck Brook, Stanley Brook, Canon Brook, and HunterÆs Brook, all located on the east side of ANP, were sampled in 1997 (Gawley, 1998). Streams on the west side of the park were added in subsequent years: Lurvey Spring Brook and Heath Brook in 1998, Marshall Brook in 2000. Streams and their specific monitoring locations have varied over the years both to increase sample sites to obtain a more diverse data set of macroinvertebrates in park streams, and to cut streams that had insufficient macroinvertebrate numbers (in Total Abundance and/or EPT Generic Richness categories) to satisfy the input criteria of MDEPÆs analytical model. Maine DEP staff were consulted before changes were made in site selection. Seven sites were sampled in 2003, and five sampled in 2004 (fewer locations due to budgetary constraints) (Appendix A and Figure 1).' 'Although invertebrate diversity and abundance in some streams e.g. Stanley Brook and Marshall Brook, have been very consistent from year to year, most other streams have had large fluctuations both in invertebrate abundance and richness as well as model results. However, in 2004 classifications for all streams were Class A and most were improvements from previous years.' '... There are insufficient data at present to determine the range of inter-annual variation or trends in macroinvertebrate diversity or abundance, for either within stream populations or parkwide. Continued monitoring should provide important information on stream macroinvertebrate communities and for future assessments of biological integrity of park aquatic ecosystems. Information on the abundance and generic richness of macroinvertebrate communities may also help in detecting possible water quality degradation in park streams as a result of atmospheric deposition, climate change, nutrient loading, and other anthropogenic effects.' Appendix A provides Macroinvertebrate Data Summary from 1997-2004 (Site, Date, Total Abundance, Generic Richness, EPT Gen Richness, Legislative Class, MDEP Model Class) Appendix B is 2003 Maine DEP Model Analysis Results for Stream Classification (Including BioME Aquatic Classification Attainment Report and BioME Aquatic Inventory Report, taxa, abundance etc.) Appendix C is 2004 Maine DEP Model Analysis Results for Stream Classification (Including BioME Aquatic Classification Attainment Report and BioME Aquatic Inventory Report, taxa, abundance etc.) Appendix D is 2003 and 2004 Stream Temperatures (as a series of graphs) It is noted that GPS coordinates for sampling sites have been added to the parkÆs GIS database (not present in report). /STUDY LOCATIONS:/ /MOUNT DESERT ISLAND/ Lurvey Spring Brook / Heath Brook / Duck Brook / Canon Brook / Hunters Brook / Stanley Brook / Marshall Brook / Richardson Brook /