Searching for Bugs
Tests for Water Quality

The dragon fly larva (right) and the stream crawfish (below) are among the many species of aquatic organisms sought by volunteers participating in the Bogue Falaya River Watch Program.

Contois is one of Many volunteers along the river who have offered to help monitor water quality as part of the Bogue Falaya River Watch Program, a joint project of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and DEQ.

The one-year pilot program, funded by a $40,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, uses biological monitoring techniques developed by the Izaak Walton League of America's Save Our Streams program. The technique involves "critter counts" to measure the number and diversity of organisms living in the stream.

"In the past, water quality monitoring has largely been the responsibility of state and federal regulatory agencies and has often involved analyzing water chemistry," explains Dale Givens, Assistant Secretary for DEQ's Office of Water Resources. "But the exciting thing about the River Watch Program is that it gives citizens the opportunity to get 'hands-on' experience in protecting and restoring the river by measuring its ability to support living, breathing creatures."

	Ashton Heyd (left) and Meredith Irvin examine a bug netted in the waters of Bogue Falaya. Click "here" for full size photo. Warning: Photo is very large.

Over 30 volunteers participated in a citizens monitoring training program held June 5 of this year along the river north of Covington. Representatives from the Izaak Walton League of America introduced parents, students, teachers, and members of local civic organizations to the monitoring procedures and described the stream insects and crustaceans they should look for. Volunteers also received tips on identifying and limiting the effect of nonpoint source pollution on the river and its tributaries.

Tools of the trade for "critter counts" include a magnifying box, a plastic ice tray for sorting bug specimens in water, and a clipboard depicting species of organisms. Click "here" for full size photo.

"The Izaak Walton League of America has done a great job of making water quality monitoring simple and easy enough for everyone, young and old, to participate in," Contois says.

She plans to involve her environmental science students from Christ Episcopal School in Covington in the project as well. "I think it's a great educational project, bringing real scientific investigation into the hands of the people who live along the Bogue Falaya River," she says. "There is no betted environmental education than that."

The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation has established 12 testing stations along the Bogue Falaya River where, six times a year, volunteers will use nets to catch and examine the macroinvertebrates living in the stream bed. The volunteers will also identify the organisms using a "bug identification card" and will record the number and types of insects and crustaceans on a survey form that is turned into the foundation office and ultimately DEQ. The absence or existence of certain organisms Is a fairly accurate way of determining the amount of pollutants in the river.

For example, the stonefly, an insect with hairlike tails, is a "pollution-sensitive" organism. Finding many stoneflies, riffle beetles, mayflies, and other pollution sensitive insects would indicate good water quality. These creatures need a good supply of oxygen to survive.

Ashton Heyd and Meredith Irvin study their finds and carefully record details.

On the other hand, midge fly larvae, which have wormlike segmented bodies with two tiny legs at their sides, are "pollution-tolerant" organisms. They - along with leeches, pouch snails, pond snails, and aquatic worms - require little oxygen for survival and can live long lives in polluted water. If a water sample contains very few pollution-sensitive organisms and many organisms that can tolerate pollution, then water quality is judged to be poor.

Crawfish, dragon flies, and clams are considered "somewhat pollution-tolerant" and can live in water of good or fair quality.

Officials with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation have already received survey forms from volunteers like Contois who conducted monitoring activities in early June. Staff from the DEQ Nonpoint Source Program will be responsible for evaluating the data for accuracy, and sampling and training procedures may be modified.

A long handled dip net is used to scoop up insects and crustaceans in
the Bogue Falaya River.

"The results we have received so far indicate that the water quality in the head waters of the Bogue Falaya is good, with a high diversity of pollution sensitive organisms," says Cliff Kenwood, the foundation's River Watch Program Coordinator. "However, urban runoff and construction in the urban area of Covington appear to be adversely affecting the river downstream."

Determining the link between land use and water quality is another important aspect of the River Watch Program. As these preliminary results indicate, storm-water runoff from urban areas, construction sites, agricultural fields, and malfunctioning sewer systems contributes to pollution levels in local water bodies. In fact, high fecal coliform counts in the lower section of the Bogue Falaya have resulted in the posting of a swimming advisory by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals along that part of the river.

Using a magnifying box, Ashton Heyd takes a close look at a live, freshly caught "critter," scooped up from the Bogue Falaya River. Click "here" for full size photo.

By regularly monitoring the river, volunteers will become accustomed to the normal condition of the water and, therefore, will notice more quickly when pollutants have entered the stream or when water quality is improving. For example, the river's water quality could change from excellent to fair, alerting volunteers that a new problem - such as illegal discharges or a new construction project - may exist.

On the other hand, monitoring may help gauge the effectiveness of conservation measures known as Best Management Practices, such as alternative farming techniques used to limit agricultural runoff into water bodies. Getting to know the river's normal condition allows problems to be found and solutions to be initiated.

"Hopefully, this program will give citizens and regulatory groups some idea of the problem areas along the Bogue Falaya and how curbing nonpoint source pollution can help," Contois says. "Once people start to see more and more children and adults wading in the water with dip nets and counting bugs, they'll realize that there is something each of us can do to improve the quality of the river."

Additional information on the Bogue Falaya River Watch Program may be obtained by contacting Coordinator Cliff Kenwood at (504) 836-2215, or Stephanie Braden in the DEQ Nonpoint Source Program at (504) 765-0634.

Return to the Special Features Table of Contents Page

Return to the Louisiana Environmentalist Magazine Home Page