Benthic macroinvertebrate sampling: an indicator of water quality in Maryland coastal streams.

Abstract

The water quality of three coastal streams in Maryland are evaluated using HIlsenfhoff's Family Biotic Index (FBI). Water chemistry, and the percent development are correlated with FBI levels, total taxa number, EPT, and diversity in the three streams. In summer conditions, the FBI was slightly higher in the developed watershed stream, the Tall Oaks stream, than it was in the undeveloped watershed stream, the Belt Woods stream. In the slightly larger Church Road stream, that runs through a primarily agricultural watershed, the FBI was lower. Summer percent EPT levels were found to be much lower than percent EPT level observed in the Belt Woods stream during a previous study done in the fall of 1994. This may be correlated with the presence of a Capniidae stonefly that goes into diapause during the summer months.