Hierarchical Framework for Wadeable Stream Management and Conservation: Annual Report 2012

Work focused on obtaining and integrating existing data for biological assemblages with our current GIS infrastructure and reviewing existing classification efforts within Illinois (e.g., National Fish Habitat Partnership [Esselman et al. 2011]; Upper Mississippi River Basin Assessment [Khoury et al. 2011]). Fish and mussel data were prepared for formalizing Ecological Drainage Units (EDU) and developing Aquatic Ecological System (AES) units during this reporting period. We have also expanded our taxonomic resolution by adding information from the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) collections database for aquatic macroinvertebrates ( Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera or collectively EPT) throughout Illinois. Work on this project was mainly conducted by one full time research scientist for the majority of the reporting period due to staffing constraints associated with existing projects. A graduate student (part-time) was hired to assist with incorporating EPT records from the INHS collections with our other data. In the second year of the project we plan to increase staffing by adding a second full time staff