Biological and Habitat Conditions in the South Platte River Basin

Map and Data for This Study

• Objective:
  To describe biological communities (algae, invertebrates, and fish) and habitat conditions in selected environmental settings as a part of an integrated assessment of water quality in the South Platte River Basin.

• Approach and Targeted Physical and Biological Data:
  
  The 12 surface water quality sites were sampled for algae, invertebrate, and fish and habitat characteristics were measured.

• Timing:
  Sampled late July through September from 1993-1995.
  
  
• Selected Results:
  
  A habitat degradation index (HDI) and an index of biotic integrity (IBI), indicates that most NAWQA monitoring sites are moderately degraded and that human activities and local site characteristics have a greater effect on habitat and fish communities than basin-scale characteristics such as land use.
  
  The relative abundance of families of fish were altered and the number of invertebrate taxa were lower in mining-affected sites and urban, agricultural and mixed land-use settings compared to sites that were minimally affected by human activities such as forest and rangeland.