Aquatic invertebrate monitoring at Pipestone National Monument: 2005-2007 trend report

Bowles, D

In the late 1980’s, the National Park Service (NPS) began an intensive program to monitor water quality and invertebrate community structure in prairie streams at several midwestern parks. Included in this baseline study was Pipestone National Monument (PIPE). Preliminary monitoring was conducted at PIPE in 1989. Following this baseline year, monitoring was not conducted again until 1996, but it has since been conducted annually. Since 2006, monitoring at PIPE has been based on a monitoring protocol developed by the Heartland Network using revised methodology from previous protocols. The objectives of current monitoring are to: 1) determine the status and trends of invertebrate species diversity, abundance, and community metrics, and 2) relate the invertebrate community to overall water quality through quantification of metrics related to species richness, abundance, diversity, and region-specific multi-metric indices as indicators of water quality and habitat condition. Pipestone Creek is impacted from a combination of agricultural practices and urbanization and is listed as a 303d stream by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency due to elevated turbidity and fecal coliform levels. Water quality, habitat, and invertebrate community metrics were generally consistent among sampling years. Although some minor differences were observed, they are likely not biologically important. Based on the invertebrate community metrics reported here, the water quality of Pipestone Creek within PIPE has not diminished beyond that reported in earlier studies. It appears that stream condition is generally good, although there is mild impairment attributed to activities in the watersheds outside the park boundaries. There are few available options to park management for mitigating this situation, largely because the impacts to the invertebrate community and water quality originate upstream of the monument boundaries. Continued establishment and widening of riparian buffer zones along Pipestone Creek above the park will aid in protecting aquatic life in Pipestone Creek as well as in-stream habitat from local chemical runoff and sedimentation.

Aquatic invertebrate monitoring at Pipestone National Monument: 2005-2007 trend report

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