A Multimetric Analysis of Benthic Macroinvertebrates Present Downstream of a Small, Run-of-the-River Dam in Upstate New York

Download or read book A Multimetric Analysis of Benthic Macroinvertebrates Present Downstream of a Small, Run-of-the-River Dam in Upstate New York written by Olive Streeter Chen and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though environmental managers are increasingly turning to dam removal and alteration to mitigate the economic and environmental costs associated with their maintenance and operation, little is known about the potential environmental impacts of these management decisions as data is often not collected prior to and following implementation of changes. A biological assessment of a reach downstream of a prospective micro-hydroelectric project site was conducted in order to generate baseline data for the development of an adaptive management plan to assess the effects of small-scale hydro power projects on stream conditions. Biotic integrity of the reach downstream of the Annandale Dam (Annandale-On-Hudson, NY) and three other distinct riparian habitats along the Saw Kill were evaluated using six family-level metric indices, non-multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and indicator family analysis. Results indicated that the riparian habitats of the Saw Kill are characterized by little to no biological degradation. Multimetric index scores of the Annandale Dam were comparable to those of other good quality riparian habitats along the Saw Kill, suggesting that the presence of the dam does not substantially impair the water quality of downstream areas. Future biological assessments should focus on accounting for the effect of seasonal variation on macroinvertebrate community composition.