SHEP kicks off the 2009 Rice Creek Stream Health Evaluation Program is underway

by Trevor Russell

On August 15th, FMR launched the fourth season of our Stream Health Evaluation Program (SHEP) in the Rice Creek Watershed District.

SHEP is a successful volunteer stream-monitoring program that trains adult volunteers to evaluate the biological health of streams by sampling benthic macroinvertebrates - small, stream dwelling bugs.

Modeled after our successful Wetland Health Evaluation Program (WHEP), the Stream Health Evaluation Program (SHEP) is a partnership between FMR, the Rice Creek Watershed District, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Anoka County Parks and Fortin Consulting.

Benthic What?

In general, benthic macroinvertebrates are a collection of insects and crustaceans such as stoneflies, midges, snails, and crayfish that live in stream, wetland and lake habitats. These organisms are commonly monitored to help us evaluate the health of these waters.

Macroinvertebrates have different reactions to pollutants and stream conditions. Because some are very tolerant and can live in any water conditions while others are very sensitive and can only survive in healthy waters, the presence or absence of macroinvertebrates can effectively illustrate the conditions of our local streams, rivers, and lakes.

SHEP 2009

This season, 30 adult volunteers from across the watershed and surrounding communities will monitor six sites along major streams in the watershed. Over the fall, SHEP teams collect samples and analyze them in the laboratory. This analysis will help the Rice Creek Watershed assess the health of local waters.

More Information

To learn more about SHEP, contact FMRs Watershed Program Director Trevor Russell at (651) 222-2193 ext 18 or .