Great Miami & Loramie Watershed

•Western Ohio

•Covers 8 Counties

•Primarily Agriculture

•Dayton Located at Southern End

•Lake Loramie Dam

•353 Miles of Stream

Elizabeth’s Hypothesis

Sewage from urban areas causes high BOD levels which lowers the IBI score.

BOD= Biological Oxygen Demand

IBI= the total measure of fish

What’s Happening Here?

This Is What’s Happening

High BOD Caused Lowest Recorded IBI (fish)

Dayton

(sewage treatment plant) Visible Proof of Improvements to Sewage Treatment Plant

Meg’s Hypothesis

When the quality of substrate increases, the diversity of ICI

(macroinvertebrates) and the diversity of IBI (fish) increase.

ICI= determines the diversity of macroinvertebrates

Macro= seen with naked eye

Invertebrates= no back bone

Substrate= the bottom of a stream

A quality substrate increases the number of IBI & ICI

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1 4 710 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40

Site and Time

IBI an

d ICI

Value

0

10

20

30

40

50

Subs

trate

IBI ICI Substrate quality0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

ICI

IBI

Good streams have a rocky bottom or substrate

that is "clean".

Good streams support a diversity of aquatic life

including fish and macroinvertebrates.

Dominique’s Hypothesis

When QHEI decreases IBI & ICI decreases. When QHEI increases IBI & ICI increases.

QHEI vs.BIO DIVERSITY (IBI & ICI)

0

20

40

60

80

100

0 10 20 30 40 50

Av_IBI

Av_IcI

Av_QHEI

decreasing

increasing

QHEI= index to determine habitat quality

QHEI vs.BIO DIVERSITY

• The trees act as a sponge to soak up waste and other harmful pollutants.

• The trees help to keep the water cool so the IBI & ICI will be able to survive.

•When rivers are channeled it removes habitats & results in water running faster causing more erosion.

Current Status of Our Watershed

Farmers have worked to improve riparian zones

Lockington Dam

Habitat and flow alterations are damaging the watershed

Improvement Suggestions

• Encourage farmers to continue land improvements

-building buffer zones

-planting crops 90 meters from the water

• Encourage the planting of new riparian zones around the dam

• Less channelizationThis is what we want!

Acknowledgements

Thank You to the following people:

• Marcia Murphy

• The People at OSC

• Our Chaperones

• Any and All Who Made This Possible!

~YWSI is Fun, Fun, Fun!!!~

~Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!~