Assessing macroinvertebrate community response to restoration of Big Spring Run: Expanded analysis of BACI sampling designs

Elaine Langone, Room 242

Benthic macroinvertebrates are commonly used to determine the success of stream restoration projects. The Big Spring Run (BSR) restoration project achieved its hydrogeomorphic (abiotic) goals, but macroinvertebrate community was not a primary goal of the project. We examined the effect this novel restoration project had on the macroinvertebrate community, which included an assessment of potential aerial migrants. We also examined potential pitfalls for using a BACI approach. Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected each year for two years prior to and three years after restoration. Adult stream insects were collected in the final year of monitoring. Subsets of the macroinvertebrate data were analyzed to supplement conclusions made from the full dataset and to characterize potential pitfalls for common sample designs. Results using the overall dataset suggested that restoration had no effect on the macroinvertebrate community. The “wet meadow” created for this restoration successfully increased sediment retention, which may have maintained poor benthic habitat condition. Few adult mayflies, stoneflies, or caddisflies were observed at the restored reach, which suggested that dispersal barriers or a lack of local source populations may have limited insect colonization.