Reflections on a summer of stream assessments

Vanessa Garcia, Restoration Corps crew member

Vanessa searching for benthic macroinvertebrates at a stream near West Side Park, Vineland

Out of sight, out of mind.

That’s how a majority of people treat our wildlife. But, with a little time and a lot of care, we can save what we have broken.

Most of what I see are streams because we do stream assessments at least once a week. A stream assessment is a protocol to evaluate the condition of aquatic life in our area. Basically, we write down the 4 senses: what we can see, smell, touch, and hear. Most of the streams have been good. They have all the healthy macroinvertebrates(small aquatic insects that you can see with the naked eye) and have clear water with fish swimming around. ​

part of the habitat assessment that we conduct at local freshwater streams

If you see any benthic macroinvertebrates (invertebrates that live on the bottom of the stream, that you can see without a microscope), it’s a good sign, but some are better than others.

For example, if we see a pollution-sensitive species like mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies, that means the water is of good enough quality for them to be able to survive.

But if there are no pollution-sensitive species and mostly highly tolerant macros like midges and leeches, you can be confident that the water is disgustingly full of pollution.

But, the one thing that is never missing is trash. There is always pollution. Even if you can’t see it, you can trust it will be there.

Of course, there is sometimes wooden debris from trees, but that is not really a problem because it can serve as a habitat for macros. But, the trash people leave behind completely messes up the flow and cleanliness of the water. The majority of the streams I have been to have culverts under bridges, even the good ones. These narrow the canals, block wildlife, and alter natural water flow.

searching for macroinvertebrates in a less-than-ideal stream

Comparing our ecosystems to other places, we are thriving, but statistically, the state of these streams is affecting the environment in some way.  These stream assessments help us take apart each piece of the stream to see what is hurting it and how we can help.