Stream Monitoring Resources
Monitoring Macroinvertebrates - high school instructions
Includes a simple data sheet for scoring results.Stream Invertebrates by Pollution Tolerance Group
Two-page, black-and-white document to photocopy. With clear drawings of stream invertebrates grouped by pollution tolerance: Groups 1, 2 and 3.Watersheds by Basin
TN Dept. of Environment and Conservation. Find your watershed on a map! Read the Water Quality Management Plan for your watershed. Find out about land use, pollutants, water quality, and restoration strategies for you local area.
U.S. EPA: How's My Waterway?
Locate and learn about the condition of streams, rivers, and lakes near you.U.S. EPA: Learn about Water
Start here to access both general and technical information in this extensive web site.Izaak Walton League Save Our Streams
Save Our Streams Program from the Izaac Walton League Find the Data Forms for Stream Monitoring Monitoring 101, equipment information, andWhat does a healthy stream LOOK like?
Stream Visual Assessment for Volunteers from Georgia
Extensive information, but easy to understand (for adults or high school students). This document is from Georgia but applicable to most wadeable streams in Tennessee.
We suggest completing p. 24-25 to practice collecting data and learn what a healthy stream looks like. Doing this does not require entering the water.
From the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Use the scoring rubrics that start on p. 7 to see what a healthy stream should look like, including the size of the riparian zone, erosion/stability of the banks, and water clarity. Page 19-20 provides printable images and descriptions of stream invertebrates: Group One (pollution sensitive), Group Two (somewhat pollution tolerant) and Group Three (pollution tolerant).