The Lower Boise River in Star, Idaho is a 4th order stream, and like many Western streams, has been subjected to anthropological changes in terms of biodiversity, hydrology, and use. These changes are related to the Boise River watershed, which is situated in an urban landscape that has experienced approximately a 25% increase in population growth over the past 30 years (data from 2010census.gov). The biological effects of changes in landscape use patterns can be understood, by studying benthic invertebrate communities that are found in the Boise River. The Boise River was sampled to determine diversity of aquatic invertebrates that, once collected and identified, can be used to determine water quality. Results demonstrate a higher relative abundance of invertebrate orders that are more tolerant to degraded water quality, while relatively more sensitive orders were not represented in our collecting. Our results indicate that the index of order diversity in terms of equitability as a community is relatively low in the order distribution. Our work is important because appropriate management of natural resources, biodiversity or water quality for example, is predicted on an understanding of current conditions.

Aquatic Invertebrates in Monitoring Water Quality