BMI Results
Results from Biological Monitoring events and identification by CSI volunteers.
The metrics used are explained first, and then results are shown with the most recent year on top. For more details about locations, or to see chemical monitoring data for the sites, visit the Database.
Explanation of Metrics:
Once the benthic macroinvertebrates in the sample collected from the stream have been identified under the microscope to the level of order and family, they can be used to assess the health of the stream as a home for aquatic life. The assessment is based on which orders and families of insects are present and how well they tolerate pollution.
Click on the tabs below to explore the various metrics used to evaluate stream health.
A count of the number of different families of aquatic insects in the sample. It is an indication of how diverse the macroinvertebrate community is in the stream. The more different families of insects there are (higher richness), the healthier the stream.
Values: >13=non-impacted, 10-13=slightly impacted 7-9=moderately impacted, <7=severely impacted[/accordion_item]
[accordion_item title=”Family Biotic Index” accordion=”accordion”]
Macroinvertebrate families vary widely with respect to how well they tolerate pollution. Some are very sensitive to pollution while others are quite tolerant of polluted conditions. This metric is based on the pollution tolerance of families of benthic macroinvertebrates on a scale of 0 to 10.
Values: 0-4.5=non-impacted, 4.51-5.50=slightly impacted, 5.51-7.00=moderately impacted, 7.01-10.00=severely impacted
[/accordion_item]
[accordion_item title=”EPT Richness” accordion=”accordion”]
A count of the total number of macroinvertebrate families of mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), and caddisflies (Trichoptera) found in a sub-sample. These three orders of macroinvertebrates are considered to be mostly clean-water organisms, and the presence of several families from these three orders is generally correlated with good water quality.
Values: >7 = non-impacted, 3-7 = slightly impacted, 1-2 = moderately impacted, 0 = severely impacted
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[accordion_item title=”Percent Model Affinity” accordion=”accordion”]
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has established what a typical, or model, community of benthic macroinvertebrates looks like in a healthy, non-impacted stream in New York. The Percent Model Affinity metric indicates how similar your BMI sample is to the model New York BMI community as defined by NYSDEC. It is based on the relative abundance of 7 major groups of benthic macroinvertebrates.
Values: >64%=non-impacted, 50-64%=slightly impacted, 35-49%=moderately impacted, <35%=severely impacted
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[accordion_item title=”Biological Assessment Profile” accordion=”accordion”]
This metric combines Total Family Richness, Family Biotic Index, EPT Richness and Percent Model Affinity in a single metric called the Biological Assessment Profile (BAP). Each of these four metrics is converted to a value from 0 to 10 using a mathematical equation. The four converted values are averaged, and the average represents the overall water quality for the sampling location.
Values: 7.5-10 = non-impacted, 5-7.5 = slightly impacted, 2.5-5 = moderately impacted, 0-2.5 = severely impacted
[/accordion_item]
BMI RESULTS 2013 – Download Summary PDF
Click the location to download the full spreadsheet of results
|
Total Family Richness |
Family Biotic Index |
EPT Richness |
Percent Model |
BAP Value (Biological |
|
|
Six Mile Creek, German Cross Road |
12.0 slightly impacted |
5.18 slightly impacted |
7.5 non-impacted |
68% non-impacted |
7.1 slightly impacted |
|
Six Mile Creek, Potters Falls |
15.5 non-impacted |
4.35 non-impacted |
5.5 slightly impacted |
53% moderately impacted |
7.5 slightly impacted |
| Six Mile Creek, Plain Street 8/31/13 42.434082 N, 76.504191 just downstream of Plain St. bridge |
12.0 non-impacted |
3.92 non-impacted |
7.0 non-impacted |
58% slightly |
7.2 slightly impacted |
| Six Mile – 600 Rd in Slaterville 9/1/13 42.396300N, 76.334333W Slaterville 600 Rd |
20.0 non-impacted |
4.98 non-impacted |
10.0 non-impacted |
67% non-impacted |
8.5 non-impacted |
| Fall Creek 10/16/13 42.457884 N, 76.437961 W Freese Rd |
16.0 non-impacted |
4.34 non-impacted |
9.5 non-impacted |
69% non-impacted |
8.8 non-impacted |
| Enfield Creek – Mouth 5/4/13 42.6303 N, 76.7506 W just upstream of Rt. 13 bridge |
19.0 non-impacted |
4.61 slightly impacted |
9.5 non-impacted |
89% non-impacted |
9.1 non-impacted |
| Cayuga Inlet 5/4/13 42.39610 N, 76.542953 W upstream of confluence with Enfield Creek |
13.5 slightly impacted |
3.39 non-impacted |
7.0 slightly impacted |
75% non-impacted |
8.1 non-impacted |
| Danby Creek, Durfee Hill 8/24/13 43.32057 N, 76.426048 W Halton property, near Durfee Hill |
17.5 non-impacted |
4.64 slightly impacted |
8.0 non-impacted |
63% non-impacted |
8.1 non-impacted |
| Wylie Brook 4/29/13 42.19253 N, 75.61975 W Off Route 235 in Afton |
14.5 non-impacted |
3.24 non-impacted |
9.5 non-impacted |
66% non-impacted |
8.7 non-impacted |
| Bumps Creek 9/21/13 42.23035 N, 75.53273 W near Afton Elementary school |
12.0 slightly impacted |
3.70 non-impacted |
8.5 non-impacted |
72% non-impacted |
8.0 non-impacted |
| Tug Hollow (Logan) Creek 5/12/13 42.423581 N, 76.852775 W upstream of CR5 bridge |
21.0 non-impacted |
3.77 non-impacted |
13.5 non-impacted |
76% non-impacted |
9.2 non-impacted |
| West Branch Cayuga Inlet tributary 4/24/13 42.35949 N, 76.598485 W just upstream of Main St. bridge near Trumbulls Corner *Note: Probably not all organisms were pulled from the sup-samples of each replicate. Sorting was done during a 45 minute period and may not have been complete* |
13.0 slightly |
2.79 non-impacted |
10.5 non-impacted |
51% slightly impacted |
7.9 non-impacted |
| Cascadilla Creek 6/15/13 42.447921 N, 76.501958 W just downstream of Hancock St. Bridge near Sciencenter Tier 2 Protocols used |
N/A – Tier 2 Protocols Used |
5.80 moderately impacted |
6.5 slightly impacted |
41% moderately |
N/A – Tier 2 Protocols Used |
| Mill Creek 5/3/13 42.63573 N, 76.6343 W Atwater Rd. west of Lake Rd. *Note: Physical habitat may not have been ideal for sampling. It is difficult to tell if this affected the results. Volunteers plan to sample a nearby, more ideal location this year to evaluate stream health. |
2.5 severely impacted |
5.99 moderately impacted |
1.0 moderately impacted |
21% severely impacted |
2.0 severely impacted |
BMI RESULTS 2012 – Cayuga Lake Watershed – Download Summary PDF
Click the location to download the full spreadsheet of results
|
Total Family Richness |
Family Biotic Index |
EPT Richness |
Percent Model |
BAP Value (Biological |
|
|
Trumansburg Creek |
17.5 non-impacted |
3.80 non-impacted |
8.0 non-impacted |
42% moderately impacted |
7.6 non-impacted |
|
Trumansburg Creek |
14.5 non-impacted |
5.87 moderately impacted |
7.0 slightly impacted |
37% moderately impacted |
5.8 slightly impacted |
| Enfield Creek (Upper) 5/12/12 42.415112N, 76.619806W just upstream of Rt 327 bridge |
17.0 non-impacted |
3.95 non-impacted |
9.5 non-impacted |
78% non-impacted |
9.2 non-impacted |
| Enfield Creek Mouth 5/12/12 42°23.889’ N, 76°32.782’W just upstream of Rt 13 bridge |
17.0 non-impacted |
4.20 non-impacted |
10.0 non-impacted |
84% non-impacted |
9.3 non-impacted |
| Six Mile – 600 Rd in Slaterville 9/11/12 42.396300N, 76.334333W Slaterville 600 Rd |
21.0 non-impacted |
3.76 non-impacted |
12.5 non-impacted |
73% non-impacted |
9.1 non-impacted |
| Six Mile – German Cross Rd. 9/10/12 42.402909 N, 76.436369 W just upstream of German Cross Rd |
18.5 non-impacted |
4.17 non-impacted |
8.5 non-impacted |
70% non-impacted |
8.7 non-impacted |
| Six Mile below Potters Falls 9/5/12 42.41960 N, 76.46510 W first good riffle downstream of Potters Falls |
13.0 slightly impacted |
4.10 slightly impacted |
5.0 slightly impacted |
35% moderately impacted |
6.0 slightly impacted |
| Fall Creek 9/10/12 42.457264 N, 76.438124 W Freese Rd |
17.5 non-impacted |
5.15 slightly impacted |
9.5 non-impacted |
48% moderately impacted |
7.6 non-impacted |
| Salmon Creek 6/5/12 42.539959N, 76.543486W Myers Point |
19.0 non-impacted |
4.88 slightly impacted |
9.0 non-impacted |
70% non-impacted |
8.4 non-impacted |
| Paines Creek 5/15/12 42.726766N, 76.684675W just upstream of Moonshine Rd (extinct bridge) |
12.5 slightly impacted |
5.19 slightly impacted |
6.5 slightly impacted |
77% non-impacted |
7.2 slightly impacted |
2011 BMI Results – Cayuga Lake Watershed
Click the location to download the full spreadsheet of results
|
|
Total Family Richness |
Family Biotic Index |
EPT Richness |
Percent Model |
BAP Value (Biological |
| Trumansburg Creek 6/4/11 42.540714N, 76.649079W just downstream of Tburg wastewater treatment plant |
14.0 non-impacted |
4.85 slightly impacted |
6.0 slightly impacted |
62% slightly impacted |
7.1 slightly impacted |
| Enfield Creek (Mouth) 5/21/11 42°23.889’ N, 76°32.782’W just upstream of rte 13 bridge |
12.5 slightly impacted |
3.20 non-impacted |
7.0 non-impacted |
67% non-impacted |
7.7 non-impacted |
| Six Mile Creek- German Cross Road 8/22/11 42.402909 N, 76.436369 W just upstream of German Cross Rd |
16.5 non-impacted |
4.14 non-impacted |
9.0 non-impacted |
70% non-impacted |
8.8 non-impacted |
| Six Mile Creek-below Potters Falls 8/23/11 42.41960 N, 76.46510 W first good riffle downstream of Potters Falls |
19.0 non-impacted |
4.06 non-impacted |
7.5 non-impacted |
45% moderately impacted |
8.1 non-impacted |
| Fall Creek 7/13/11 42.453347 N, 76.495711 W Just downstream of Lake St. bridge |
15.5 non-impacted |
4.49 non-impacted |
8.5 non-impacted |
44% moderately impacted |
7.7 non-impacted |
| Fall Creek- Lake Street 10/8/11 42.453204 N, 76.49408W Just upstream of Lake St. bridge |
15.5 non-impacted |
4.44 non-impacted |
9.0 non-impacted |
54% slightly impacted |
8.2 non-impacted |
| Direct Streams 6/9/11 42.726766N, 76.684675W just upstream of Moonshine Rd (extinct bridge) |
9.5 slightly impacted |
5.61 moderately impacted |
4.0 slightly impacted |
34% severely impacted |
4.8 moderately impacted |
| Taughannock Creek 7/30/11 42.529682N, 76.635175W~500′ downstream of Rt 96 bridge |
19 non-impacted |
4.44 non-impacted |
9.5 non-impacted |
66% non-impacted |
8.7 non-impacted |
| Cayuta Creek 8/14/11 42.103433N, 76.33.420W 308 Beckhorn Hollow Road |
19.5 non-impacted |
4.70 slightly impacted |
10.5 non-impacted |
58% slightly impacted |
8.7 non-impacted |
Samples collected and analyzed using Hudson Basin River Watch Tier 3
Protocols (www.hudsonbasin.org).
