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Bioassessment Publications

EPA Publication Sites (goes to other Web pages)

• Mid-Atlantic Bioassessment
• Monitoring and Bioassessment Documents
• On-Line Presentations from the Watershed Academy
• Biocriteria National Workshop Modules
• Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program

EPA Bioassessment and Biocriteria Publication Topics (links to categories below)

• Taxonomic Aids for the Mid-Atlantic Region
• Coral Reefs
• Streams and Rivers
• Estuaries
• Lakes
• Wetlands
• Volunteer Monitoring
• General EPA
• USGS
• Non-EPA/USGS Publications
• State Agency

Taxonomic Aids for the Mid-Atlantic Region

• DRAFT. A PHOTOGRAPHIC KEY TO THE SIMULIIDAE LARVAE OF EPA REGION THREE (PDF) (7pp, 4.16MB About PDF)
• DRAFT. A PHOTOGRAPHIC KEY TO THE BAETIDAE OF EPA REGION THREE (PDF) (29pp, 4.2MB About PDF) note - a larger pdf file is available for those interested.
• DRAFT. SEPARATION OF THE LARVAE OF THE STONEFLY FAMILIES LEUCTRIDAE AND CAPNIIDAE (PDF) (4pp, 1.1MBAbout PDF)

Coral Reef Bioassessment and Biocriteria

• Stony Coral Rapid Bioassessment Protocol (PDF) (EPA/600/R-06/167, July 2007) (72pp, 4.87 MB, About PDF)
• Bioassessment Tools for Stony Corals: Field Testing of Monitoring Protocols in the US Virgin Islands (St. Croix) (PDF) (EPA-260-R-06-004) (51pp, 917 KB, About PDF)
• Bioassessment Tools for Stony Corals: Statistical Evaluation of Candidate Metrics in the Florida Keys (PDF) (EPA-260-R-06-002) (35pp, 212 KB About PDF)
• Bioassessment Tools for Stony Corals: Monitoring Approaches and Proposed Sampling Plan for the U.S. Virgin Islands (PDF) (EPA-260-R-06-003) (25pp, 470 KB About PDF)
• Coral Reef Factsheet (EPA-842-F-05-001h, Oct. 2005)
• Charting a Course Toward Diagnostic Monitoring: A Continuing Review of Coral Reef Attributes and a Research Strategy for Creating Coral Reef Indexes of Biotic Integrity
• Development of Biological Criteria for Coral Reef Ecosystem Assessment
• Coral Reefs and Your Coastal Watershed

Stream and River Bioassessment and Biocriteria
2005 and more recent

• Survey of the Nation’s Rivers Web site - available documents listed
• Concepts and Approaches for the Bioassessment of Non-wadeable Streams and Rivers (EPA 600-R-06-127 September 2006)
• Field Operations Manual for Assessing the Hydrologic Permanence and Ecological Condition of Headwater Streams (EPA 600-R-06-126 October 2006)
• Great River Ecosystems, Field Operations Manual (EPA-620-R-06-002, Feb. 2006).
• The Evaluation of Methods for Creating Defensible, Repeatable, Objective and Accurate Tolerance Values for Aquatic Taxa(EPA 600-R-06-045, May 2006)
• Wadeable Streams Assessment: A Collaborative Survey of the Nation's Streams (EPA 841-B-06-002 December 2006)
• Best Practices for Identifying Reference Condition in Mid-Atantic Streams (PDF) (EPA-260-F-06-002, August 2006) (8pp, 1.49MB About PDF)
• Proof of Concept for Integrating Results from Three State Probabilistic Monitoring Programs (PDF) (EPA-903-R-06-003 June 2006) (36pp, 815KB About PDF)
• Developing Biological Indicators: Lessons Learned from Mid-Atlantic Streams (PDF) (brochure, EPA-903-F-06-001, January 2006) (8pp, 913 KB About PDF)
• Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment (MAIA) State of the Flowing Waters Report (EPA-620-R-06-001, February 2006)
• Estimation and Application of Macroinvertebrate Tolerance Values (EPA-600-P-04-116F, March 2006)
• Indicators for the Assessment of Great River Ecosystems EMAP-GRE Workshop - October 24-26, 2006, Duluth, Minnesota - link to meeting presentations
• Use of Biological Information to Better Define Designated Aquatic Life Uses in State and Tribal Water Quality Standards: Tiered Aquatic Life Uses (PDF)(EPA 822-R-05-001, August 2005) (208 pp, 2.9 MB About PDF)
• Western Streams and Rivers Statistical Summary (EPA 620-R-05-006, June 2005)

2004 and before

• A Review of Biological Assessment Tools and Biocriteria for Streams and Rivers in New England States (PDF) (EPA-600-R-04-168, Oct. 2004) (124 pp, 1.7 MB About PDF)
• Evaluation and Development of Large River Biological Assessment Methods and Standardized Protocols for Region V: Boat Electrofishing Methods Comparison Study (PDF) (110 pp, 2.8 MB About PDF)
• Region V State Bioassessment and Ambient Monitoring Programs: Initial Evaluation and Review (January 2004)
• Pilot Study for Montgomery County and Maryland DNR Data Integration: Comparison of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Sampling Protocols for Freshwater Streams (EPA-903-R-03-005) (51pp, 917 KB, About PDF)
• Developing Biological Indicators: Lessons Learned from Mid-Atlantic Streams (EPA/903/R-03/003, March 2003)(54pp, 1.6MKB, About PDF)
• Biological Indicator Variability and Stream Monitoring Program Integration: A Maryland Case Study. (EPA/903/R-02/008) (93pp, 2.36 MB, About PDF)
• Case Study: Montgomery County, Maryland Uses Biological Monitoring to Better Understand and Manage Watersheds (EPA/903/F-02/005) (8pp, 6.52 MB, About PDF)
• States and Tribes Embrace Bioassessment and Biocriteria for Protecting Streams and Small Rivers (PDF) (EPA-822-F-03-005) (5pp, 1.39MB, About PDF)
• Technical Components of State and Tribal Bioassessment Programs (PDF) (EPA-822-F-03-009) (8pp, 1.3MB About PDF)
• Biological Assessments and Criteria: Crucial Components of Water Quality Programs (PDF) (EPA 822-F-02-006) (6 pp, 1MB About PDF)
• Summary of Biological Assessment Programs and Biocriteria Development for States, Tribes, Territories, and Interstate Commissions: Streams and Wadeable Rivers (EPA-822-R-02-048)
  
• Mid-Atlantic Highlands Streams Assessment: Technical Support Document (PDF) (EPA/903/B-00/004) (113 pp, 13.1MB About PDF)
• Quantifying Physical Habitat in Quantifying Physical Habitat in Wadeable Streams ( EPA/620/R-99/003)
  
• Rapid Bioassessment Protocols For Use in Streams and Wadeable Rivers: Periphyton, Benthic Macroinvertebrates, and Fish Second Edition (EPA 841-B-99-002, July 1999) (See also the Quick Contents on this site)
• Biological Monitoring and Assessment: Using Multimetric Indexes Effectively (EPA-235-R97-001, December 1997) (155 pp, 10.7MB About PDF)
• Biological Criteria: Technical Guidance for Streams and Small Rivers, Revised Edition (1996) (EPA/822/B-96/001, May 1996)
• Summary of State Bioassessment Programs for Streams and Rivers . (EPA-230-R-96-007) (168pp, 9.5MB, About PDF)
• Generic Quality Assurance Project Plan Guidance for Programs Using Community Level Biological Assessment in Wadeable Streams and Rivers. (EPA 841-B-95-004 July 1995)
• Evaluation of Draft Technical Guidance on Biological Criteria for Streams and Small Rivers (PDF) (EPA Science Advisory Board) (31 pp, 1.1MB, About PDF)

Estuarine Bioassessment and Biocriteria

• National Coastal Condition Reports
• Ecological Condition of the Estuaries of Oregon and Washington: An Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) Report
• Coastal Communication Reports
• EMAP Estuaries Reports
• Estuarine & Coastal Marine Waters:Bioassessment & Biocriteria Guidance (EPA-822-B-00-024, December 2000)
• USEPA Region 3 Quality Assurance Guidelines for Sorting (PDF) (9 pp., 93K, About PDF) and Identifying (PDF) (8 pp., 93K, About PDF) Marine Benthos (contact Dr. Dave Russell for more information)

Lakes Bioassessment and Biocriteria

• Survey of the Nation's Lakes Web site listing available documents
• Field Operations Manual for Lakes - EMAP (EPA/620/R-97/001, June 1997)
• Lake and Reservoir Bioassessment and Biocriteria - Technical Guidance Document (EPA 841-B-98-007, August 1998)
• Review of the Draft Guidance for Lakes and Reservoir Bioassessment and Biocriteria (EPA Science Advisory Board, PDF, 15 pp., 167K)

Wetlands Bioassessment and Biocriteria

• Monitoring and Assessment documents for wetlands
• Visit Office of Water's Biological Assessment of Wetlands
• Biological Assessment and Criteria Programs for Wetlands
• Bioindicators for Assessing Ecological Integrity of Prairie Wetlands (September 1995)
• Wetland Bioassessment Fact Sheets (Office of Water)
• Techniques, and Applications of Community Level Biomonitoring Data (EPA ORD)
• Proceedings of the Wetlands Biological Assessment Methods and Criteria Development Workshop, Boulder, Colorado 1996
• Impacts on Quality of Inland Wetlands of the United States: A Survey of Indicators, Techniques, and Applications of Community Level Biomonitoring Data (EPA/600/3-90/073)

Volunteer Monitoring Program

• Volunteer Monitoring Page with links to publications (Office of Water)
• Volunteer Stream Monitoring: A Methods Manual (Office of Water)
• The Volunteer Monitor's Guide to Quality Assurance Project Plans (Office of Water) 

General

• Elements of a State Water Monitoring and Assessment Program (EPA 841-B-03-003, March 2003)
• Biological Assessments and Criteria: Crucial Components of Water Quality Programs (PDF) (EPA 822-F-02-006) (6pp, 1.1 Mb, About PDF)
• Evaluation Guidelines for Ecological Indicators (EPA 620-R-99-005, May 2000)
• Biological Criteria: Technical Guidance for Survey Design and Statistical Evaluation of Biosurvey Data (EPA 822-B97-002 December 1997)
• Combined Sewer Overflows and the Multimetric Evaluation of Their Biological Effects: Case Studies in Ohio and New York (EPA 823-R-96-002 April 1996)
• Proceedings of the 1991 Midwest Pollution Control Biologists Meeting (EPA 905-R-92-003 )
• Meeting the Goal of Biological Integrity in Water-Resource Programs in the US Environmental Protection Agency. Susan Jackson. Wayne Davis. Journal of the North American Benthological Society, Vol. 13, No. 4, 592-597. Dec., 1994 (6 pp., 445KB, About PDF)
• Fish Field and Laboratory Methods for Evaluating the Biological Integrity of Surface Waters (EPA 600-R-92-111, March 1993)
• Biological Criteria: Research and Regulation - Proceedings of a Symposium (EPA 440-5-91-005, July 1991) (174 pp., 12.5M, About PDF)
• Biological Criteria: Guide to Technical Literature (EPA 440-5-91-004, July 1991) (145 pp., 6.9M, About PDF)
• Biological Criteria: State Development and Implementation Efforts (PDF) (EPA 440-5-91-003, July 1991) (42 pp., 2M, About PDF)
• Macroinvertebrate Field and Laboratory Methods for Evaluating the Biological Integrity of Surface Waters EPA 600-4-90-030 (PB91-171363) (1990).
• Proceedings of the 1990 Midwest Pollution Control Biologists Meeting (EPA 905-R-90-005)
• Biological Criteria: National Program Guidance for Surface Waters (EPA 440-5-90-004, April 1990)
• Proceedings of the First National Workshop on Biological Criteria (EPA 905-R-89-003)
• Report of the National Workshop on Instream Biological Monitoring and Criteria (held in Lincolnwood, Illinois December 2-4, 1987)
• Hughes, R.M., J.H. Gakstatter, M.A. Shirazi.and J.M. Omernik. 1982. An approach for determining biological integrity in flowing waters. Pages 877-888 in T.B. Brown (editor). In Place Resource Inventories: Principles and Practices, A National Workshop. Paper presented at the workshop August 9-14, 1981. Society of American Foresters, Bethesda, Maryland (12 pp., 525KB, About PDF)
• Klemm, D.J. 1982. Leeches (Annelida: Hirudinea) of North America. Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268. EPA-600-3-82-025. (196 pp., 6M, About PDF)
• Schuster, G.A. and D.A. Etnier. 1978. Manual for the Identification of the Larvae of the Caddisfly Genera Hydropsyche Pictet and Symphitopsyche Ulmer in Eastern and Central North America (Trichoptera:Hydropsychidae). (EPA -600-4-78-060).  (148 pp., 8MB, About PDF)
• Frey, D. 1977. Biological integrity of water: an historical approach. Pages 127-140 in R.K. Ballentine and L.J. Guarraia (editors). The Integrity of Water. Proceedings of a Symposium, March 10-12, 1975, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. (18 pp., 1.1 MB, About PDF)
• Jorling, Thomas. 1977. Incorporating Ecological Interpretation into Basic Statutes. Pages 9-14 in R.K. Ballentine and L.J. Guarraia (editors). The Integrity of Water. Proceedings of a Symposium, March 10-12, 1975, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. (10 pp., 569KB, About PDF)
• Woodwell, G.M.. 1977. Biological Integrity - 1975. Pages 141-147 in R.K. Ballentine and L.J. Guarraia (editors). The Integrity of Water. Proceedings of a Symposium, March 10-12, 1975, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. (11 pp., 651KB, About PDF)
• Weber, C.I. 1973. Biological field and laboratory methods for measuring the quality of surface waters and effluents. EPA-670-4-73-001. National Environmental Research Center, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (194 pp., 11.1 MB, About PDF)
• Klemm, D.J. 1972. Biota Of Freshwater Ecosystems Identification Manual 8 Freshwater Leeches Annelida Hirudinea Of North America   (58 pp., 2.7 MB, About PDF)
• Mason, W.T., P. A. Lewis and J. B. Anderson. 1971. Macroinvertebrate Collections and Water Quality Monitoring In The Ohio River Basin, 1963-1967 EPA-R-71-003  (125 pp., 4.7MB, About PDF
• Keup, L.E., W.M. ingram and K.M. Mackenthum. 1967. Biology of Water Pollution - A Collection of Selected Papers on Stream Pollution, Waste Water, and Water Treatment. US Department of the Interior, Federal Water Pollution Control Administration. Washington, DC.
  • Chapter 1. General Background of Biological Aspects of Water Pollution (50 pp., 5.1 MB, About PDF)
  • Chapter 2. Relationship to Pollution of Plankton (38 pp., 3 MB, About PDF)
  • Chapter 3. Relationship to Pollution of Bottom Organisms (44 pp., 4.1MB, About PDF)
• Tarzwel, C.M. 1965. Biological Problems in Water Pollution - Third Seminar 1962. EPA-000-R-65-104 (426 pp., 39MB, About PDF)

US Geological Survey Publications

National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Biological Sampling, Habitat, and Laboratory Protocols
Ecological National Synthesis (ENS) Project - Publications - Publications

• Concepts of an Index of Biotic Integrity for Streams of the Red River of the North Basin (USGS)
• Index of Biotic Integrity Applied to a Flow-regulated River System. Bowen, Z.H., M.C. Freeman, and D.L. Watson. 1998.
• Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality Final Report: Technical Appendix E: Indicator Selection Criteria
• Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality Final Report: Technical Appendix F: Ecoregions, Reference Condition and Index Calibration
• Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring Water Quality Final Report: Technical Appendix G: Multimetric Approach for Describing Ecological Conditions
• Methods for Sampling Fish Communities as a Part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (USGS Open-File Report 93-104)
• Methods for Collecting Benthic Invertebrate Samples as Part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (USGS Open-File Report 93-406)
• Guidelines for the Processing and Quality Assurance of Benthic Invertebrate Samples Collected as Part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (USGS Open-File Report 93-407)
• Methods for Characterizing Stream Habitat as Part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (USGS Open-File Report 93-408)
• Methods for Collecting Algal Samples as Part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (USGS Open-File Report 93-409)
• Biotic Integrity of the Boise River Upstream & Downstream from Two Municipal Wastewater TreatmentFacilities, Boise, Idaho, 1995-96 (William H. Mullins, USGS)

Non-EPA/USGS Publications (Note: all of the following links exit the EPA website

• American Fisheries Society
• Center for Applied Bioassessment & Biocriteria
  • Comparison of Biological-based and Water Chemistry-based Aquatic Life Attainment/Impairment Measures under a Tiered Aquatic Life Use System (28 pp., 718 KB, About PDF)
  • Tiered Aquatic Life Uses and Comparison of Biological-based Attainment/Impairment Measures: One vs. Two Organism Groups (15 pp., 244 KB, About PDF)
• Karr, J. R. 1981. Assessment of biotic integrity using fish communities. Fisheries (Bethesda) 6: 21-27. (7 pp., 193KB, About PDF)
• A New Approach to Assessing Ecological Health: Developing an Index of Biological Integrity with Insects at Hanford (Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation)
• An Assessment of the Biological Integrity of the Western Canadian River Basin in Texas (Red River Authority of Texas)
• Biological Criteria for Water Resource Management (C. Yoder and E. Rankin – Measures of Environmental Performance and Ecosystem Condition (1999) National Academy of Engineering
  
• Freshwater Benthic Ecology and Aquatic Entomology - 2002 - S.M. Mandaville from the Soil & Water Conservation Society of Metro Halifax
• Central Plains Center for Bioassessment - publications
• Communicating Ecological Indicators to Decision Makers and the Public
• Field Guide to Freshwater Mussels of the Midwest (Illinois Natural History Survey)
• Journal of the North American Benthological Society (NABS) Abstracts
• North American Benthological Society (NABS) Bulletins
• SalmonWeb Biomonitoring Publications
• Bacterial growth on stream insects: potential for use in bioassessment (Dennis Lemly, in JNABS)
• Southern California Bight Infaunal Sample Analysis Laboratory Manual
• History of the EPT Taxa Richness Metric (Dave Lenat and Dave Penrose, NABS)
• Application of the Index of Biotic Integrity to Evaluate Water Resource Integrity in Freshwater Ecosystems (PDF) (Thomas Simon and John Lyons) (15 pp, 160K, About PDF)
• Mandaville, S.M. 2002. Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Freshwaters- Taxa Tolerance Values, Metrics, and Protocols (PDF). Project H-1, Soil & Water Conservation Society of Metro Halifax. xviii, 48p., Appendices A-B. 120p total. (128 pp, 221K, About PDF)
• Ecoregions: A Spatial Framework for Environmental Management (PDF) (James Omernik) (19 pp., 551K, About PDF)
  

State Publications (Note: all of the following links exit the EPA website

• Alaska - University of Alaska Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program
  
• California EPA Bioassessment Reports - San Diego Regional Water Quality Board
• Connecticut DEP Rapid Bioassessment by Volunteer Monitors
• Florida DEP Bioassessment Publications
• Georgia DEP Bioassessment Publications
• Indiana DEM Biological Studies
• Iowa DNR Bioassessment Program and Publications
• Kentucky Division of Water Bioassessment Publications
• Maine DEP Biomonitoring Program
• Maryland Biological Stream Survey Publications
• Michigan DEQ Biosurvey Program
• Mississippi DEQ Surface Water Quality Assessments
• New Hampshire DES Bioassessment Program
• Nevade DEP Bioassessment Program
• North Carolina DENR Bioassessment Program
• Ohio EPA Biological and Water Quality Reports
• South Carolina DHEC Aquatic Biology Section
• Tennessee DEC Water Quality Assessment Publications
• Vermont DEC Bioassessment Programs
• Virginia DEQ Probabilistic Monitoring Program
• Washington DEC Bioassessment Publications
• West Virginia DEP Ecological Assessment Reports
• Wisconsin DNR Technical Bulletins - Fisheries and Aquatic Communities
  

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