01/12/2013 Invertebrate Sampling on the Etowah River at the
International Applachian Academy (Georgia Adopt-a-Stream) site

Today's sampling begins about 2PM on a cloudy afternoon with an air/water temperature at 22C/12C,
the water ph at 7.5, and the dissolved oxygen at 4ppm. The turbidity was about 40 due to the previous
day's rain.

Three kick-sein samples are challenging in colder water temperatures, but we know that colder
water means higher levels of dissolved oxygen and more invertebrate activity. We'll soon find out!

7 D-net (under vegetative margin scoops), and 4 leaf-pack handfuls, and 3 riffles (kick-sein)
complete the sampling protocol:

Our hard work turned-up 111 specimens and 15 species, including many that are "sensitive to pollution"
therefore telling us that the water quality had to be "excellent" according to Georgia-adopt-a-stream formula.
"Sensitive": 42 stoneflies, 15 mayflies, 3 water-pennies, 15 riffle beetles, 1 aquatic snipe-flies, 4 caddisflies, and 1 gilled snail;
"Somewhat Sensitive": 3 common netspinning caddisflies, 1 dobson fly, 9 dragonflies, 2 craneflies, and 1 clam;
"Tolerant": 2 midge flies and 10 aquatic worms (image below left)
  The water mites (image below right) that we found were not on the formula
 

The most exciting find for us were four different types of house-building caddisflies!
In order from left to right are a Northern Case-maker, the Uenoid Case-maker (lower-left), and another Northern Case-maker
that used a combination of leaves and stones. We think that the fourth caddisfly is probably a Longhorned Case-maker.
It's hard to capture Case-makers without damaging their handiwork.

Other interesting finds include our first Aquatic Snipe fly, a tiny clam shell,
and a very tiny (about one or two millimeters long) colorful baby stonefly that we managed
to take a capture through a cycloptic microscope

Here's another shot!

Here are a few short videos we made today.

The Northern Case-maker Caddisfly

 

a Northern Case-maker and a  Uenoid Case-maker

a Burrowing Mayfly