Above Aquatic Ecology Technician intern Erica Burton analyzes macroinvertebrate samples from Fall 2020 to see if data trends reveal insights into the long-term impacts of droughts.
Join us in welcoming Erica Burton to the Ipswich River Team! Says Erica, “I am an Aquatic Ecology Technician intern in my last semester of college at Westfield State University studying Environmental Science with a minor in Wetlands Assessment and Management. For my senior capstone project, I studied the effects of dams on water quality. I did this by measuring the number of macroinvertebrate species upstream and downstream of ten dams across Massachusetts. Macros are sensitive to pollution, so by measuring and identifying their tolerance values, we were able to determine if the dam impacted water quality.”
Erica is supporting our Science and Monitoring programs by identifying macroinvertebrates from samples collected from across the watershed in fall 2020. Macroinvertebrate monitoring is used to understand the impact droughts are having on river life. Samples are collected by volunteers each fall and following the devastating drought in 2016, the data showed a decrease in macroinvertebrate abundance observed at most sites compared to prior years. Samples in 2017-2019 appear to show a recovery, but the samples being analyzed by Erica were collected following another severe drought in summer 2020. The data analysis will reveal if the trend of decreased river vitality following a drought will be repeated.
Macroinvertebrates are a key part of the river food web and impacts to macros influence other types of river life. While river flows recover following a drought, impacts on river life can remain over the long-term. Droughts are becoming more common and severe. This work shows that we need to minimize our impact on the river and allow it to become more resilient. Water conservation and environmentally friendly landscaping practices are all tools we can use to protect and restore the health of the river. You can encourage more people to reduce stress on you local waterways by making the LAWN BY LAWN pledge below.