Program Stream Habitat Condition Monitoring

Approach

Streams are monitored using widely accepted bioassessment protocols established by the EPA and further refined by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) (Kaufmann et al. 1999; Ode 2007; Barbour et al. 1999). Specifically, stream monitoring is conducted using Standard Operating Procedures for Collecting Benthic Macroinvertebrate Samples and Associated Physical and Chemical Data for Ambient Bioassessments in California (Ode 2007). The TRPA stream monitoring program was developed in partnership with the EPA, CDFW, Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP), Lahontan Water Quality Control Board (Lahontan), and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) (Fore 2007). Benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs), as well as physical and chemical stream characteristics, are sampled at 48 streams annually. Of these 48 streams, 16 per year are probabilistic “status” sites randomly selected through EPA modelling (Olsen et al. 1999; Paulsen, Hughes, and Larsen 1998) and 24 are “trend” sites revisi

Partners

• California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW)
• California Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (Lahontan)
• Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP)
• Nevada Tahoe Resource Team – Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW)
• Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA)
• U.S. Forest Service - Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (USFS - LTBMU)

Associated Programs data not provided.