Aquatic Lab Report

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Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi *

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Jan 9, 2024

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Title page and ToC: Bronte Abstract: Group/Bronte check and edit Introduction and Materials and Methods: Freshwater on Earth is relatively rare compared to how abundant water itself is, covering 70% of the Earth’s surface. Only three percent of all the water is fresh, with less than half of that being available for consumption when the majority is trapped within ice (United States Bureau of Reclamation, 2020). In DFW, much of the area is completely urbanized and the watershed altered greatly. Manicured lawns and the increased destruction of the ground to create roads and parking lots among other concrete based structures highly increases run off, morphing the ground and disrupting soils (Dune and Leopold 1978). To understand the health of a portion of the Trinity River in the Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) metroplex, he Spring 2023 Ecology Laboratory conducted a modified habitat and benthic macroinvertebrate assessment at the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, downstream of the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA) dam outfall on 3-III-2023 around 1330. The objectives of this assessment include learning how to conduct water quality, habitat, and rapid bioassessment, observe and identify benthic macroinvertebrates, and upload observations to iNaturalist, complete with notes on time. The aquatic group focused on analyzing the entire lab section’s data to provide a full report that will be given to the stakeholders of LLELA. Identifying benthic macroinvertebrates in a specific aquatic area represents a ‘snapshot in time’ of the health and quality of a certain habitat. By understanding the health and quality of a habitat, steps can be taken to better the environmental system for future organisms. This report will first discuss important background knowledge of the area we sampled, then will explain the materials and methods we used to collect our samples, then will show our collected

results, a discussion based on those results, a conclusion, then our references used will be listed at the end. The Lewisville Lake E nvironmental Learning Area (Format as a header) LLELA is a nature preserve located in Lewisville Texas (Denton Co). The surrounding land area is heavily urbanized, and the nature preserve protects a small portion of land with native Texas prairies, bottomland forests and savannah habitats. The types of habitat located within LLELA used to span over 12 million acres in Texas prior to European settlement, however, has now been reduced to only 2,600 acres, along with numerous other conserved sites across the State (LLELA.org). LLELA has the Lewisville Lake dam located within the grounds, and it also serves as a floodplain between Lewisville Lake, the Trinity River, and the city of Lewisville and downstream urban areas. This pocket of nature reserve is very important in maintaining native Texas species habitat. LLELA is home to a reconstructed Blackland Prairie habitat. Only 1% of Blackland Prairie ecosystem remains (World Wildlife). Prairies support many different species, so by losing prairies those species will also end up becoming extirpated if there is no habitat left for them. LLELA is managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the University of North Texas (UNT), and the City of Lewisville. The Lewisville Dam at the time of the current survey and rapid bioassessment was greatly affected by the precipitation from the previous days before, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers was rapidly increasing the flow of the dam release causing the water level to rise a great amount over the duration of the students stay. This greatly affected how benthic macroinvertebrates could be captured as only the edges of the water line were able to be experimented on. Because of these restraints, the Spring 2022 benthic macroinvertebrate data, habitat scores, and water quality measurements were used to compare with the current semester findings.

Benthic macroinvertebrates are more commonly used as bio monitors than fish or other aquatic organisms (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2022). Macroinvertebrates are easier to sample; sampling requires little equipment and does not require a license. Macroinvertebrates are easily identifiable with photographs, microscopes, and their tolerance to pollution is well documented in the literature (Tampo et al. 2021). Benthic macroinvertebrates do not travel throughout streams as fish do. They stay in one place throughout their life cycle, or at least until they are aerial adults. This means that any potentially harmful input to the stream, such as chemical pollution from point or non-point sources, may be detected by macroinvertebrates that have stayed in the same location. A habitat assessment is normally conducted along with a rapid bioassessment (TCEQ source). 13 parameters including bottom substrate stability, in-stream cover, and channel flow could all affect the life histories of taxa. The higher the habitat score, the higher the aquatic life expectancy is projected to be. The Texas Trinity River and the Elm Fork Branch in the DFW Metroplex (format as a header) The Trinity River watershed is the largest within the state of Texas, with the river itself being the third largest in the state (Texas Water Development Board). However, it is also infamous for its poor water quality and neglect caused by the history and prevalence of toxic industrial pollution (Dallas Morning News, 2010). The river is responsible for providing half of the Texan population with drinking water and many endeavors, including the Clean Water Act and regulation of toxins have decreased the pollution of the Trinity River (Trinity River Authority 2016). To keep up with the rapid population growth in North Texas, 29 reservoirs along the Trinity River have been constructed in the last 110 years. Although water quality has improved greatly over the decades,

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there is often very little flow in parts of the Trinity River due to low rainfall and drought conditions. The river is highly variable due to runoff from rainfall and wastewater point sources being the largest contributor to the Trinity River Basin (Trinity River Authority 2016). Location and Assessment Methods Insert the statement that opens the materials and methods here (Charlie) 03-III-2023 at 1400 hours. The location of the fork is about 80 yards away from the Lewisville Lake Dam. The rapid water quality assessment and Habitat Quality Index Score (HQIS) took place on the bank of the river before Elm Fork at the Trinity River, located at LLELA. To conduct the rapid water quality assessment, A flow meter for measuring the velocity of water is needed along with a pH pen, and a seechi tube to measure turbidity. The materials required

Figure 2: Map of Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex with LLELA denoted with a black dot

Figure 1: Map of Elm Fork at Trinity River (Denton co.) sampling locations denoted as black dots. Coordinates: 33°04’00” N 96°57’52” W We measured Water Quality and Habitat Assessment (format as header): (Bronte) z six Six in-stream water quality parameters were measured using a Pro2030 YSI meter. This instrument measures water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductivity. A YSI pH10A pen was also utilized to measure the pH level. A YSI FP11 Flow Probe was used to measure water flow and a Secchi tube to measure water turbidity. The laboratory then conducted a TCEQ habitat quality assessment. The assessment is done by observing individual qualities of the water habitats and ranking them according to a numerical scale. Available in-stream cover for aquatic life, Bottom substrate stability, Numbers of riffles, Dimensions of largest pool, and

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Channel flow status are ranked from four to zero with four being the highest possible quality and zero being the lowest possible quality. Bank stability, Channel sinuosity, Riparian buffer vegetation, and Aesthetics of reach are ranked on a scale of three to zero with three being highest quality and zero being the lowest. The methods for conducting the HQIS were done according to the standards set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or TCEQ. The Aquatic Life Use is the scale used for determining how many species are making use of the habitat by referencing the total number of points from the HQIS. The total HQIS from the assessment was marked at 21, indicating a high use by aquatic life. Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Structure Methodology (format as a header) After all quality assessments are complete, the benthic assessment was conducted using modified TCEQ protocols (TCEQ source). Once entering the water, each student was tasked to find an area with substrate. D-frame nets are used to be lowered into the water to the bottom and an individual must agitate the substrate near the mouth of the net with the foot to obtain benthic invertebrates that float downstream. After approximately 30 seconds, the student exits the water and dumps the solid contents into an enamel pan and uses soft forceps to pick out each invertebrate into a clean pan with water. After a few rounds of going into the water, all the taxa found are recorded into the laboratory manual and uploaded to the iNaturalist project. Accessory taxa were also documented, which included the riparian vegetation and terrestrial invertebrates. All documentations were uploaded to iNaturalist. Use of iNaturalist (format as a header) Discuss inat a little and talk about how there were two inat projects that house the observations from both semesters, with citing iNat.

Data Assessment (format as a header) Benthic macroinvertebrates and the accessory taxa were analyzed to arrive at total abundance, richness, Shannon’s diversity (Figure X) and Evenness (Figure X). Shannon’s diversity and evenness were calclulated using insert name of source. F igure X insert formula for diversity Figure X insert formula for evenness The abiotic and biotic data are presented in the follwing section. Results (header) (Sara): Insert big picture opening statement...The Spring 2023 Ecology Laboratory ...... Abiotic Parameters, including Water Quality (header) (Sara): Introduce the abiotic parameter and water quality section (Intro statements and then the table) The Abiotic Parameters were outlined and assessed according to the guidelines and methods set out Table 1: Parameters and Measurements of Water Quality and Abiotic Parameters of Elm Fork at Trinity River on 03-III-2023 and Spring 2022 Parameter 2023 2022 Ambient Temperature 16° C 21° C Dew Point 3.9°C 18° C Humidity 48% 86% Cloudiness Clear Cloudy Precipitation 0.82” 0” Wind 15 mph NW 7 mph Growing Degree Days 272 126 Photoperiod 11 hours 31 minutes 11 hours 38 minutes Water Temperature 11°C 11°C

Dissolved Oxygen 13.3 mg/L 11.6 mg/L Specific Conductivity 290 µS/cm 285.5 µS/cm Velocity of Water 0.2 m/s 0.5 m/s Clarity/Turbidity 56.7 cm 39 cm (Header) Habitat Assessment (format as a header) The methods for conducting the HQIS were done according to the standards set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ ) . The Aquatic Life Use is the metric used for predicting the potential use of the habitat by benthic macroinvertebrates by referencing the total number of points from the HQIS. The total HQIS from the assessment was marked at 21, indicating a ‘high’ score for aquatic life. (Table 2) Table 2 Habitat Quality Index Score (HQIS) and Aquatic Life Use Score (ALU) based off TCEQ habitat protocols for Spring 2022 and 2023 at the Elm Fork Trinity River at LLELA (Denton Co.) Habitat Parameters 2023 Score 2022 Score Available In-stream Cover for Aquatic Life 2 3 Bottom Substrate Stability 3 3 Number of Riffles 3 4 Dimensions of Largest Pool 2 2 Channel Flow Status 3 2 Bank Stability 2 2

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Channel Sinuosity 2 2 Riparian Buffer Vegetation 3 3 Aesthetics of Reach 1 2 Total Score: 21 23 Habitat Score: High Exceptional Use the table above below once Joshua fixes table number. Use the info in the table below to tal about taxa descriptions. You need to look up new taxa from 2022, too. Table 3: Phylogenetic table representing all taxa recorded during benthic assessment. Phylum Class Order Family Feeding Group/Common name (This is where common name goes) Common name/Feedin g group (this is where feeding group is gonna go). Amou nt found Annelida Hirudina tricladida Predator Flatworm 1 Oligochaeta Tubificidae Predator/ Grazers/ Scrappers Annelid worm 3 Mollusca Gastropoda Bivalves lymnaeidea SCR Pond snail 1 malacostracans amphipoda Predator Amphipod 1 Insecta Diptera Chironomidae Predator/ Collector Gathers/SHR/SC R//FC Blood worm 9 Scientific Common 2023 2022

name name Tubificidae 3 5 Hirudinea Leeches 1 Berosus 1 Chironomida e Non-biting Midges 9 100 Simuliidae Black Flies 10 Corydalus American Dobsonflies 12 Calopterygid ae Broad- winged Damselflies 10 Hydropsychid ae Net-spinning Caddisflies 50 Hyalella 1 Dreissena polymorpha Zebra Mussel 0 19 Musculium transversum Long Fingernailcla m 0 1 Corbicula fluminea Asian Clam 0 10 Lymnaeidae Pond and Melantho Snails 1 Physidae Bladder Snails 1 Joshua is working on functional feeding groups and table (Charlie): Introduce this figure below. Put Number of individual on the Y axis, Taxa on the X axis. Get rid of Abundance of Taxa Caught. Add in 2022 data as a 2 nd set of bars with a new color.

Figure 1: Abundance of taxa for the Spring 2022 and 2023 Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment of the Elm Fork Trinity River at LLELA (Denton Co.) (Bronte): Introduce the IBI and this next table. Table 4: Index of Biological Integrity for Spring 2023 Spring 2023 Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment of the Elm Fork Trinity River at LLELA (Denton Co.) 2023 2022 Number of orders/groups 9 10 Richness sub score 9 9 Most abundant order/group in your kit Family Chironomidae (9) Family Chironomidae (100) Total number of individuals in most abundant order/group 9 100 Total number of individuals in all orders/groups 16 218 Proportion of most abundant to all orders/groups 0.56 0.45 Dominance Subscore 4 8 Indicator order/group subscore 0 4 Biotic index score 13 21 Index of biotic integrity water quality descriptive term Poor (13) Fair (21) Feeding group analysis (Joshua): THIS GOES AFTER THE PHYLOGENTIC TABLE AND IN THE PHYLOGENETIC TABLE PARAGRAPH

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Of the phylogenetic table these are the feeding groups that we found in the taxa we observed. The dominant feeding group in our observed macroinvertebrates were predators. From this data it can be gathered that in order to support a large predator population, there has to be a large prey population to accommodate the local predators. Table 5: Abundance of individual taxa documented during the Spring 2023 Spring 2023 Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment of the Elm Fork Trinity River at LLELA (Denton Co.) Data Set 2023 2022 Total Organisms 16 Richness 6 Shannon Index 1.33 Equitability Index (Evenness) 0.74 Metrics (Joshua and Bronte) - It’s 8:55 PM, gotta go get my daughter. Let’s see how you all can work to clean up the rest. Habitat Statements A TCEQ Habitat Quality Index Score of 21 was documented for both the Spring 2022 and 2023 sampling time periods, with both occurring the first week of March. (Made up) Evaluating water habitats is performed using the Habitat Quality Index Score (HQIS) (TCEQ) The measurement is collected by observing individual qualities of the water habitats and ranking them according to a numerical scale. Available in-stream cover for aquatic life, Bottom substrate stability, Numbers of riffles, Dimensions of largest pool, and Channel flow status are ranked from four to zero with four being the highest possible quality and zero being the lowest possible quality. Bank stability, Channel

sinuosity, Riparian buffer vegetation, and Aesthetics of reach are ranked on a scale of three to zero with three being highest quality and zero being the lowest. The methods for conducting the HQIS were done according to the standards set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or TCEQ. The Aquatic Life Use is the scale used for determining how many species are making use of the habitat by referencing the total number of points from the HQIS. The total HQIS from the assessment was marked at 21, indicating a high use by aquatic life. Indicator Orders During the Spring 2022, X Ephemeroptera, X Plecoptera, and X Trichoptera were documented; in Spring 2023... are the three main indicator orders. These orders are indicative of a healthy habitat environment because they have a low tolerance to pollution. When the assessment was conducted, none of these orders were present in the Trinity River. This can be explained by a massive rainstorm that had taken place the day before, which forced the Lewisville Dam to released excess water directly into the stream, which made the speed of the rapids much higher than how they normally are and lead to an excess amount of water from the bottom of the dam filling in. Biodiversity Calculator (Turn this into a table underneath the phylogenic chart) - Total number of organisms 16 - Average population size: 2.7 - Total Number of Species: 6 - Provide the Shannon-Wiener index - The higher the metric is, the higher the diversity is. Stick with the one with log, or the middle one. “Macro diversity was conducted using the Shannon Index and the and the Equitability index. - Total Taxa, Taxa abundance, Taxa richness, Shannon Index, Equability Index, Taxa Number of Taxa Observed (Abundance) Feeding group Subclass Hirudinea 1 Predator Sub-Family Tubificiane 3 Predator/Grazers/Scrappers Family Lymnaeidae 1 SCR Order Amphipoda 1 Collector Gathers/SHR Order Coleoptera 1 Predator Family Chironomidae 9 Predator/Collector Gathers/SHR/SCR//FC Feeding group analysis: Of the phylogenetic table these are the feeding groups that we found in the taxa we observed. The dominant feeding group in our observed macroinvertebrates were predators. From this data it can be

gathered that in order to support a large predator population, there has to be a large prey population to accommodate the local predators. Subclass Hirudinea: Leeches. Sub-Family Tubificiane: Annelids (worms) Family Lymnaeidae: Pond Snails (Scrappers) Order Amphipoda: Malacostracan crustaceans Order Coleoptera: Beetles (Grazers) Family Chironomidae: Non-biting midges Discussion Significance of Natural Spaces in Urban Areas (Charlie) Urban areas are rapidly expanding and there has been a n increased awareness and constituet pressure on municipalities push in public for to incorporate more natural spaces to exist within developed regions (source) . Over half of the population of the world? US? Texas? resides within urban areas and the percentage increases annually (Ritchie, Roser, 2018). Urbanization has destroyed a large portion of habitat for flora and fauna. Natural spaces can provide a place for these displaced species without a population needing to travel outside of the entire urban domain. Natural spaces are not a perfect solution to displaced communities. Many species need large areas that may not be able to be sustained within a developed area or enhanced cooridors to provide unin te rrupted habiat between preserves . LLELA is a great example of a natural space within an urban zone. The Blackland prairie is an endangered ecosystem that is being preserved by use of a natural space within an urban area. Urbanization destroyed much of what this habitat was prior to European settlement in the mid- 1800's . It now The Blackland Prairie only covers one percent of its original area in Texas (Mittelhauser, Barnes, Barnes, 2011). Even though natural spaces are not thriving or as

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expansive as they could be, it is important to have at least some amount of relatively undeveloped area even within a city. Green spaces are not only useful for wild species but for human beings as well. During the COVID-19 pandemic, natural spaces were incredibly important to the physical and mental health of those who were isolated, by giving a safe area for people to exercise outside and interact with others freely (Grima et al, 2020). The Lewisville Dam is not ideal for the taxa living within the Elm Fork of the Trinity River below the outfall . The dam is disruptive and throughout the benthic assessment there were multiple fish observed found shocked or killed by the violent outpour at the head of the dam. Dams alter the natural flow regime and structure of streams and rivers, essentially altering the flooding cycles, sinuosity, flow, and riparian areas. The interruption results in the order of the original waterbody to ‘reset’ to an upland order. The Elm Fork Tri nity River would normally be a 5 th order river at Lewisville, but because of the dam, resembles more of a 2 nd or 3 rd order stream (Baxter-Slye, per comm) . Moreover However , without LLELA being a conservation area with a high degree of riparian vegetation and stable substrate, , the taxa that is living there now may not be able to survive due to the rapid urbanization of the area. Elm Fork creates a habitat for plenty of benthic taxa even though the rapid assessment conducted during the Spring 2023 semester did not fully encapsulate that due to high flow volumes from outfall releases . Prior assessments in the area had far higher success in obtaining increased richness and diversity using the same methods at the same time of year. The high velocity and level of the water was the most likely culprit for this assessment getting a subpar number of taxa captured. In Spring 2023, a A large section of the river was off limits due to safety concerns about deep-water wading compared to previous semesters . conducting this survey. However, apart from the difficulties, Elm Fork creates a habitat for plenty of benthic fauna. The outcome of the HQIS was high which indicates

an adequate habitat for benthic macroinvertebrates. There were a lot of substrate, trees, tall grass, and rocks to house macroinvertebrates. Natural spaces are integral to freshwater life as displaced individuals do not have the same dispersal methods that a displaced terrestrial animal has. If the Elm Fork was eviscerated by urbanization, all the individuals present would have no chance of survival. Discussion (Bronte) Benthic macro-invertebrates are known to have relatively long life cycles, which leads to them emerging in their adult stages primarily in the spring and fall seasons (source). However as stated in an article from the Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science Insert last name of first aut hor of article and second or et al (year) (see manual for how to do this correctly) , overall diversity is typically much higher in the spring than in the fall in North Texas. Therefore, in order to gather the most accurate data, it would be ideal to sample in the spring. However, in Texas, which experiences warm fall weather and high precipitation, benthic macroinvertebrate richness is often comparable with spring due to many taxa experiencing two life cycles per year, as opposed to only one in the northern, colder part of the United States (Baxter-Slye per. Comm). With LLELA being in an urban area, human activity and pollutants are another factor to consider when sampling. Unlike fish and other organisms that can freely move down the river, many macroinvertebrates cannot escape pollutants. Because of this, more pollution tolerant taxa are found within urban waterbodies. If a body of water is found to contain mostly these types of benthic macro-invertebrates, this would be a strong indicator that the ecosystem is unhealthy, as that would also indicate the presence of high amounts of pollution. However, if these organisms

are unable to protect themselves or move away from contaminated areas, overall diversity of benthic macro-invertebrates will decrease. Discussion (Joshua)

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References Mittelhauser, Barnes, Barnes. The Effect of Herbicide on the Re-Establishment of Native Grasses in the Blackland Prairie. 2011. https://doi.org/10.3375/043.031.0305 Piet F.M. Verdonschot, and AbstractThe annelids include terrestrial and aquatic (fresh and marine) earthworms. “Introduction to Annelida and the Class Polychaeta.” Thorp and Covich's Freshwater Invertebrates (Fourth Edition) , Academic Press, 19 Sept. 2014, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123850263000206#s0025. Nelson Grima, Will Corcoran, Corinne Hill-James, Benjamin Langton, Haley Sommer, Brendan Fisher, The importance of urban natural areas and urban ecosystem services during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243344 Environmental Protection Agency. (2022). Indicators: Benthic Macro-invertebrates . EPA. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/indicators-benthic- macroinvertebrates Poddubnaya, T.L. (1980). Life Cycles of Mass Species of Tubificidae (Oligochaeta). In: Brinkhurst, R.O., Cook, D.G. (eds) Aquatic Oligochaete Biology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3048-6_10 Welte, N. T., & Campbell, M. (2003, January). Analysis of Seasonal Variation of Benthic Macro- invertebrate Communities in Two Primary Tributaries of Elk Creek, Erie County, PA . JSTOR. Retrieved April 2023, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/44149456?read- now=1&oauth_data=eyJlbWFpbCI6InByYXR0LmJyb250ZUBnbWFpbC5jb20iLCJpbnN0aXR1dGlvb klkcyI6W119&seq=5#page_scan_tab_contents “Surface Water Quality Monitoring Procedures, Volume 2: Methods for Collecting and Analyzing Biological Assemblage and Habitat Data.” Texas Commission on Environmental Quality , May 2014, https://www.tceq.texas.gov/publications/rg/rg-416 . Eidson, J., Smeins, F.E. Texas Blackland Prairies. World Wildlife. https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/na0814

Tampo, Lallébila and Kaboré, Idrissa and Alhassan, Elliot H. and Ouéda, Adama and Bawa, Limam M. and Djaneye-Boundjou, Gbandi (2021). Benthic Macroinvertebrates as Ecological Indicators: Their Sensitivity to the Water Quality and Human Disturbances in a Tropical River. Frontiers in Water. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frwa.2021.662765/full Texas Water Development Board. Trinity River Basin . Retrieved April 21, 2023 https://www.twdb.texas.gov/surfacewater/rivers/river_basins/trinity/index.asp#:~:text=InThe %20Trinity%20Basin%20is,Texas%20by%20average%20flow%20volume . Dallas Morning News (2010). Trinity River among most polluted waters in Texas. Retrieved April 21, 2023 https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2010/01/13/trinity-river-among-most-polluted-waters- in-texas/#:~:text=The%20Trinity's%20pollution%20in%20North,and%20creeks%20with%20each %20rain .

Aquatic Lab Report

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