1. Project Title: Lake Erie Biological Criteria and Habitat Evaluation Project
2. Contact
Roger F. Thoma (fish communities)
Chuck McNight (macroinvertebrate communities)
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
1685 Westbelt Dr., Columbus, OH, USA 43023
Tel.: (614) 728-3388; FAX: (614) 728-3388
3. Agencies Involved
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Region 5, Water Division
Lake Erie Protection Fund
State of Ohio
4. Restoration Goal
The goal of this project is to monitor fish and benthic macroinvertebrate communities and evaluate the ecological status and functions of the numerous habitat types (both natural and human altered) that are found in the Lake Erie area of Ohio. Further, it is intended that the information obtained will be used in the evaluation of proposed habitat modifications to determine potential impacts and possible design changes that could make the project environmentally compatible in the most cost-effective manner. Data from this project is being used in the Ohio EPA 401 Water Quality Certification Program and to support other water quality management programs and objectives.
5. Project Type
Biological monitoring of fish and benthic macroinvertebrate communities.
6. Background and Rationale
The Ohio EPA has long issued 401 permits for dredge and fill activities in the Lake Erie area. Part of the Ohio Water Quality Standards (covered in the 401 permit) are biological measures of environmental condition and potential. Rigorous development of biological standards (criteria) have not yet been completed for the Lake Erie area. This project is an effort to develop scientifically defensible standards that, in part, can be used to assess impacts from habitat modification activities and generate recommendations for environmentally sustainable alternatives.
7. Regulatory Considerations
Collecting permits must be obtained from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for all work and the U.S. Department of Interior for any work conducted on federal lands (i.e., refuges).
8. Criteria
1) Development of a cost-effective biological monitoring technique that yields consistent and reproducible results through standardized methods.
2) Development of criteria (expectations) that can be used to assess the degree of attainment (how closely do biological communities approximate those found in areas of least disturbance) in the variety of habitat types found in the Lake Erie nearshore area.
3) A biological assessment of the habitat types found in the Lake Erie nearshore areas that allows the discrimination of high and low quality habitat types.
9. Project Design
Phase 1 - Evaluate practicality and effectiveness of numerous sampling methodologies for both fish and benthic macroinvertebrate communities and select the methods to be standardized. Conduct first year sampling in estuary streams and proximal lake shore areas (1993).
Phase 2 - Develop and evaluate alternative metrics to be used in an Index of Biotic Integrity (following the protocols stipulated by Karr 1981 and Fausch et al. 1984) modified for application to the Lake Erie area and derive numerical biological criteria based on the biological community performance observed at least disturbed reference sites. Conduct second and third year sampling in estuary areas, proximal lake shore areas and Lake Erie islands (1994 and 1995).
Phase 3 - Conduct lake shore sampling in areas between major tributaries, evaluate all habitat types, analyze lake shore data base and compile report on conditions (1996 and 1997).
10. Implementation
This project was initiated in 1993 and should be completed by the summer of 1997. Ohio EPA first began biological assessments in the Lake Erie area in 1982 and has accumulated data in each succeeding year. This historical database will be used in the project. Long range plans include biological monitoring in the Lake Erie area as an ongoing activity for the Ohio EPA. Benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring is primarily conducted using Hester-Dendy artificial substrate samplers (Figure 1) for quantitative samples and dip net/hand picked collections from natural substrates for qualitative samples. Fish community sampling is conducted using a 5.7 m electrofishing boat (no figure available) having dual booms equipped with collapsible electrospheres. Power is supplied by a 7000 watt Smith-Root generator which powers a pulsed DC electrofishing unit. Other sampling methodologies (trawling, gill nets, beach seining, and hoop nets) were tested in the first years work and were found to be ineffective when compared to electrofishing. Fish sampling in Lake Erie proper is conducted at night while sites located in river mouths are sampled during day light. Three biological indices will be used initially to evaluate and rate biological performance. The Modified Index of well-being (originally developed by Gammon (1976) and subsequently modified by Ohio EPA (1988b)) is calculated as follows:
MIwb = 0.5 lnN + 0.5 lnB + H(no.) + H(wt.)
where:
N = relative numbers of all species excluding species designated "highly tolerant" by Ohio EPA (1987)
B = relative weights of all species excluding species designated "highly tolerant" by Ohio EPA (1987)
H(no.) = Shannon diversity index based on species numbers
H(wt.) = Shannon diversity index based on species weights.
The Invertebrate Community Index (ICI) and the Index of Biotic
Integrity (IBI) will be modified from the present methodology
utilized by Ohio EPA and employed for benthic macroinvertebrate
and fish communities, respectively. The ICI is comprised of a
suite of ten metrics based on community structure that are scored
0, 2, 4, or 6 depending on how closely the results approximate
least disturbed reference conditions. A score of 6 approaches
the highest quality community
conditions. Summation of the individual metric scores yields an
ICI value between 0 and 60. The IBI is fundamentally similar to
the ICI in that it is comprised of a series of metrics that are
summed to yield a final score. Alternatively, it is composed of
twelve metrics that include community structure, function and
health indicators, and are scored 1, 3, or 5 which yields an IBI
value between 12 and 60. The metrics presently used by the Ohio
EPA, Karr's original metrics, and the possible alternative metrics
being considered are listed below.
Karr's original metrics Present OEPA metrics Potential alternate metrics
# of species # of species Phytophilic species
# Darter species % Round-bodied suckers* Exotic species
# Sunfish species # Sunfish species* Lake associated species
# Intolerant species # Sucker species* Benthic species
% Green sunfish # Intolerant species Midwater species
% Omnivores % Tolerant species Native species
% Insectivorous cyprinids %Omnivores Wetland (estuary) species
% Piscivores %insectivores Planktivores
# Individuals % Top carnivores Molluscivores
% Hybrids # Individuals Lepomis species
% Diseased individuals % Simple lithophils*
% DELT anomalies*** metrics under consideration for replacement
** DELT - deformities, eroded fins, lesions and tumors
Problems encountered thus far have been primarily associated with
field methods. Every attempt must be made when locating artificial
substrate samplers to minimize disturbance during the six week
colonization period. Factors which can lead to the loss of samplers
include: exposure to heavy wave action, deposition of sediments
via long shore transport, and human disturbance. Collection of
fish community data is best conducted during periods of off-shore
winds. Heavy wave action drives fish into deeper water where they
are not accessible by electrofishing. Even 30-60 cm waves make
this type of sampling ineffective. After extended periods of strong
on-shore winds a period of up to 2 weeks is needed before effective
sampling can be conducted.
11. Degree of Environmental Intervention
Minimal temporal disturbance of resident fish communities.
12. Cost
The average cost (general Ohio EPA biological monitoring program)
for the collection of
community samples and their evaluation are as follows (Ohio EPA
1991 ):
Macroinvertebrate communities (per site);
Artificial substrates $824
Qualitative dip net $275
Fish communities;
Per sample $340
Per site (3 pass) $740
The previous cost estimates are derived from the Ohio EPA stream monitoring program and not from the Lake Erie nearshore biological criteria development project. Cost of criteria development are somewhat higher and do not reflect what would be expected from a standardized program. However the rate of sample collection and processing for Lake Erie sites appears to be comparable to the stream monitoring program thus cost should also be similar.
13. Biological Assessment
This project is focused on biological assessment. The reasoning behind our approach is the need for a standardized biological sampling method with which to evaluate the effects of habitat modifications throughout the Lake Erie area (dredging, filling, shoreline protection, etc.) and impacts from other types of pollution (including AOC and RAP associated studies). Derivation of lakewide criteria will permit evaluation of the quality of habitat proposed for alteration in comparison to the proposed change and it's known consequences (derived from previous studies). This will provide real world data that support government permitting decisions for proposed projects in a standardized, predictable way which can be easily understood by applicants and the concerned public. Within the data will also be found information on habitat types and their value to aquatic communities. The principle indicator of success will be the development of biological indicators and biological criteria for the Lake Erie nearshore area.
14. Measures of Success
Project still in progress. Progress presently on track.
Success Rating: 1
15. Key References
Fausch, D.O. 1984. Regional application of an index of biotic integrity based on stream fish communities. Trans. Amer. Fish Soc. 113: 39-55.
Gammon, J.R. 1976. The fish populations of the 340 km. of the Wabash River. Purdue Univ. Water Resources Res. Cen. Tech. Rep. 86. 73pp.
Karr, J.R. 1981. Assessment of biotic integrity using fish communities. Fisheries 6 (6): 21-27.
Ohio EPA 1987a. Biological criteria for the protection of life: Volume I: The role of biological data in Water Quality Assessment. Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Columbus, OH. 44p.
Ohio EPA 1987b. Biological criteria for the protection of life: Volume II: Users manual for biological field assessment of Ohio surface waters. Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Columbus, OH. 229p.
Ohio EPA 1989a. Addendum to Biological criteria for the protection of life: Volume II: Users manual for biological field assessment of Ohio surface waters. Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Columbus, OH. 21p.
Ohio EPA 1989b. Biological criteria for the protection of life: Volume III: Standardized biological field sampling and laboratory methods for assessing fish and macroinvertebrate communities. Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Columbus, OH. 45p.
OEPA 1990. A preliminary assessment of Ohio's Lake Erie estuarine fish communities. Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Columbus, OH. 27p.
OEPA 1991. The cost of biological field monitoring. Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Columbus, OH. 5p.
Correct citation for this contribution:
Thoma, R.F., and McNight, C. 1995. Lake Erie biological criteria and habitat evaluation project, p. 191-196. In J.R.M. Kelso and J.H. Hartig [editors]. Methods of modifying habitat to benefit the Great Lakes ecosystem. CISTI (Can. Inst. Sci. Tech. Inf.) Occas. Pap. No. 1.