Presenter(s)

James Brown, Adele Hinker, Elizabeth Miles-Flynn

Comments

9:00-10:15, Kennedy Union Ballroom

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Description

The City of Dayton is a confluence of five major rivers and is responsible for ensuring these bodies of water remain safe for human and biological activities. Throughout the city, municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) empty stormwater runoff that drains into the surrounding rivers. Regular assessments of stormwater outfalls for pollutants are essential to ensure these bodies of water meet the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency requirements for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). This project focuses on how stormwater dry weather flows alter water quality and bioindicators at five MS4s sites throughout the City of Dayton. We surveyed each aquatic habitat using the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI). We measured water quality, quantified fish diversity, and collected macroinvertebrates monthly between May and September 2024 at each site. We also collected environmental DNA to estimate fish diversity, which was sent for analysis at the beginning and end of the summer. We preserved, sorted, and identified macroinvertebrates at the family level in the Reihart Lab to measure the biological integrity of each site. Overall, we found that most sites had water quality variables that fell within the normal range for streams; however, one site had high values for pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, total dissolved solids, and high levels of E. coli. Because of the size of most of the streams we sampled, we only found more than one fish species at one site. eDNA results demonstrated that most streams did have a diverse assemblage of fish species and may be a better method to estimate the richness and relative abundance of fish. Furthermore, macroinvertebrate diversity was typically highest at sites with high QHEI scores and better water quality. Conclusions from this study will be reported to the EPA and the state office responsible for issuing NPDES permits.

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Independent Research

Primary Advisor

Ryan William Reihart

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Scholarship

From Ripples to Waves: Temporal Effects of Stormwater on Fish and Macroinvertebrate Community Diversity

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