The Peter G. Meier Water Quality Survey
The Peter G. Meier Water Quality Survey, established in 2006, honors Dr Peter Gustav Meier, Professor Emeritus of Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Dr Meier is currently a water quality consultant and may be reached at pgmeier@umich.edu.
The Peter G. Meier Water Quality Survey is a self-funded endeavor initiated and managed by Hannah-Maria Jacques. Stream bottom insects and other aquatic macroinvertebrates are collectively known as benthos. Samples of benthos are currently collected on monthly basis from Traver Creek, a stream that drains the north-central portion of the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. One sampling is taken just upstream of Broadway Street, adjacent to Plymouth Park and a short distance from the Huron River. A second sampling is taken both upstream and downstream from Dhu Varren, several kilometers north of the Broadway Street site. The Dhu Varren Street area remains primarily rural but several housing developments have been built in the last decade and more are anticipated. The creek originates in farmland north of the city, passes through fields and forest, parkland, a golfcourse and residential areas. It empties into the Huron River which in turn flows to Lake Eire, approximately 49km (30 miles) southeast of Ann Arbor.
Stream bottom sampling of insects and other aquatic macroinvertebrates was performed in December 2005, and has continued on a monthly basis since March 2006.
Table I contains physico-chemical data collected at each sample site on 21 December 2005. Preliminary results for the December 2005 collection are summarized in Table II below. Table III provides a list of benthic organisms collected. The list contains the common name of each organism, a web-sourced photograph of each, and the scientific name of each benthic creature.
Table I Physico-Chemical Data : Traver Creek at Broadway and Dhu Varren Sites 21 December 2005
Collection Site
Site Photograph
Weather
Air Temperature
Water Temperature
Average Depth
Maximum Depth
Flow Rate
Discharge
pH
Broadway Street
overcast
-2.5 C
0 C
8.8 ± 4.26 cm
13 cm
.56 ± .05 m/sec
(1.85 ± .17 ft/sec)
.75 m³/sec
(198 gal/sec)
7.6
Dhu Varren Road
overcast
-4 C
1 C
3.5 ± .75 cm
4.5 cm
.63 ± .05 m/sec
(2.05 ± .18 ft/sec)
.01 m³/sec (2.6 gal/sec)
7.6
Table II Summary of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Data for Traver Creek: Collection 21 December 2005
Collection Site
Number of
Macroinvertebrate Genera
Number of
Insect Families
Number of
Insect Genera
Number of
EPT Genera
Broadway Street
15
9
Capnidae, Ceratopogonidae, Chironomidae, Elmidae, Empididae, Hydropsychidae, Philopotamidae, Tipulidae, Uenoidae
11
4
Dhu Varen Road
23
13
Capnidae, Chironomidae, Elmidae, Empididae, Helicopsychidae, Helodidae, Heptageniidae, Hydropsychidae, Nemouridae, Philopotamidae, Phryganeidae, Sciomyzidae, Simuliidae, Tipulidae, Uenoidae
18
7
Table III Macroinvertebrates : Traver Creek at Broadway and Dhu Varren Sites 21 December 2005
Table IV List of Macroinvertebrates Collected : Traver Creek at Broadway and Dhu Varren Sites 21 December 2005
Common Name
Photograph
Broadway St Macroinvertebrates
Dhu Varren Rd Macroinvertebrates
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Life Form
flat-headed mayfly
not collected
collected
Insecta
Ephemeroptera
Heptageniidae
Stenacron
larva
slender winter stonefly
collected
collected
Insecta
Plecoptera
Capniidae
Allocapnia
adult
snailcase caddisfly
not collected
collected
Insecta
Trichoptera
Helicopsychidae
Helicopsyche
larva
common netspinner caddisfly
collected
collected
Insecta
Trichoptera
Hydropsychiade
Hydropsyche
larva
fingernet caddisfly
collected
collected
Insecta
Trichoptera
Philopotamidae
Cimarra
larva
giant case maker caddisfly
not collected
collected
Insecta
Trichoptera
Phryganeidae
(Ptilostomis ?)
larva
biting midge
collected
collected
Insecta
Diptera
Ceratopogonidae
larva
midge
collected
collected
Insecta
Diptera
Chironomidae
larva
dancefly
collected
collected
Insecta
Diptera
Empididae
Hemerodromia
larva
blackfly
not collected
collected
Insecta
Diptera
Simuliidae
larva
cranefly
collected
collected
Insecta
Diptera
Tipulidae
Antocha
larva
cranefly
not collected
collected
Insecta
Diptera
Tipulidae
Dicranota
larva
cranefly
not collected
collected
Insecta
Diptera
Tipulidae
Tipula
larva
riffle beetle
collected
collected
Insecta
Coleoptera
Elmidae
Dubiraphia
larva
riffle beetle
collected
collected
Insecta
Coleoptera
Elmidae
Dubiraphia
adult
riffle beetle
collected
collected
Insecta
Coleoptera
Elmidae
Optioservus
larva
riffle beetle
collected
collected
Insecta
Coleoptera
Elmidae
Optioservus
adult
riffle beetle
collected
collected
Insecta
Coleoptera
Elmidae
Stenelmis
larva
riffle beetle
collected
collected
Insecta
Coleoptera
Elmidae
Stenelmis
adult
marsh beetle
not collected
collected
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scirtidae
larva
scuds
not collected
collected
Crustacea
Amphipoda
Gammarus
water fleas
not collected
collected
Crustacea
Cladocera
copepods
collected
collected
Crustacea
Copepoda
aquatic sowbugs
collected
collected
Crustacea
Isopoda
Asellidae
Asellus
aquatic worms
