AUTAUGA CREEK BENTHIC INVERTEBRATE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT, 2009Will S. Mooty

USGS

Autauga Creek Benthic Invertebrate Study

The creek is listed on the 2006 303(d) list for an impaired benthic invertebrate community.

The listing is based on a single sample collected by ADEM in 1999.

The Alabama River Basin group within the Clean Water Partnership partnered with USGS to resample.

Benthic Invertebrate Communities

Invertebrate samples collected in June 2009. Samples were collected using ADEM protocols. Multiple habitats sampled at each of 3 sites

Autauga Creek at County Rd. 10 Bridge Creek at County Rd. 10 Autauga Creek nr. U.S. Hwy 82 (original ADEM

assessment site) Invertebrate identification by EcoAnalysts, Inc. in

Moscow, ID.

Sand Log/Rock Root/Bank Riffle CPOM0

10

20

30

40

50

60Richness

Autauga Creek-Booth, AL Total RichnessBridge Creek-Booth, AL Total RichnessAutauga Creek-Prattville, AL Total RichnessAutauga Creek-Booth, AL EPT RichnessBridge Creek-Booth, AL EPT RichnessAutauga Creek-Prattville, AL EPT Richness

Habitat

Nu

mb

er

of

Taxa

Riffle Richness

Autauga Creek- Booth,

AL

Bridge Creek- Booth, AL

Autauga Creek-

Prattville, AL

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

50

26

44

1713

1516

7

17

Total RichnessEPT RichnessChironomid Richness

Sand Log/Rock Root/Bank CPOM0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000Abundance

Autauga Creek-Booth, AL Taxa AbundanceBridge Creek-Booth, AL Taxa AbundanceAutauga Creek-Prattville, AL Taxa AbundanceAutauga Creek-Booth, AL EPT AbundanceBridge Creek-Booth, AL EPT AbundanceAutauga Creek-Prattville, AL EPT AbundanceAutauga Creek-Booth, AL Chironomid Abundance

Habitat

Nu

mb

er

of

Ind

ivid

uals

Riffle Abundance

Auta

uga

Creek

- Boo

th, A

L

Brid

ge C

reek

- Boo

th, A

L

Auta

uga

Creek

- Pra

ttville,

AL

0

400

800

1200

1600

2000

1036.8

154

1824

432

108

1032

254.4

15

327.95Total AbundanceEPT AbundanceChironomid Abundance

Autauga Creek Synoptic Field Parameter Survey

Field parameters collected at multiple sites in the watershed. Specific conductance Dissolved oxygen Temperature Turbidity pH

Low flow and high flow periods.

Synoptic Results06/23/2009

Dis

solv

ed O

xygen

Speci

fic

Conduct

ance

Tem

pera

ture

Turb

idity

pH

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Site 1

Site 2

Site 3

Site 4

Site 6

Site 7

Site 8

Site 9

Site 10

Site 11

Synoptic Results12/15/2009

Dissolved Oxygen

Specific Conductance

Temperature pH0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 Site 6 Site 7 Site 8 Site 9 Site 10