by Bryan Mohlman

A pierce county worker and employee searching a local creek.

Pierce Conservation District continues its partnership with Pierce County’s Surface Water Management team to gather bugs in some creeks in the County.

Why are we looking for bugs? Water quality scientists sample “macro-invertebrate” populations as one factor to determine how healthy a body of water is. As the name would suggest, macro-invertebrates are larger species that can be seen without use of a microscope. Examples include mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies.

Macro-invertebrates are key indicators of stream health. Different groups of macro-invertebrates react strongly to pollited waters, acting as the proverbial canary in the coal mine. Low populations can signal the presence of certain toxins or pesticides, while high populations can indicate a healthy stream capable of supporting wildlife.

Pierce Conservation District and Pierce County typically focus monitoring efforts start in July and continue through August in correspondance to fish population fluctuations. We encourage volunteers to join us, especially if you want to get hands-on experience with restoration monitoring in the summer.

If you’d like to get more information about the data collected, the process, or how to get involved in future efforts please feel free to reach out to our Habitat Stewardship Program, Bryan Mohlman.