Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Stream Bioassessment Monitoring, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has completed scattered bioassessments of perennial streams on the Reservation as part of the water quality monitoring program since 1997. From 2012 to present, macroinvertebrate samples have been collected yearly along a consistent, representative section of each stream. The studied streams, Fornsby Creek, Munks Creek, and SneeOosh Creek are small, high gradient, low elevation and tidally influenced. Size, natural topography and geology, sediment source material, and historic land use practices naturally limit habitat complexity and consequently macroinvertebrate community diversity in these streams. BIBI scores have been used to evaluate stream health, though these scores are influenced by the small stream size and the resulting low EPT taxa richness.

For more information on Swinomish water quality monitoring visit our website here: https://swinomish-nsn.gov/resources/environmental-protection/dep-programs/water-quality.aspx

Primary contact for water quality related questions: Nicole Casper, ncasper@swinomish.nsn.us.