Poster Details
RESTORATION MONITORING OF HABITAT, HERPTILES, AQUATIC MACROINVERTEBRATES, AND FISH IN KRISPIN DRAIN ON HARSENS ISLAND, ST. CLAIR RIVER DELTA, MICHIGAN
Krispin Drain is located within the St. Clair River Area of Concern and was identified in 1985 by the U.S. and Canadian governments as impaired due to shoreline alterations and significant loss of wetlands. The St. Clair River Bi-National Public Advisory Council developed a Stage I Remedial Action Plan in 1992, baseline assessments were completed in 2013, and in 2015, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality completed Guidance for Delisting Michigan’s Areas of Concern. Consequently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency completed habitat restoration of Krispin Drain in 2015, which included reshaping the drain, removal of the invasive Phragmites spp., and installation of coarse substrate within the drain. Habitat, herptiles, and macroinvertebrates were assessed during pre- and post- restoration conditions in 2013 and 2017, respectively, and a fish community evaluation was added in 2017. Overall, improvement was observed in the quality of habitat and herptile and macroinvertebrate communities post-restoration. The fish assemblage consisted of 35 species including a state listed endangered shiner. Assessments suggest that restoration efforts have had a positive effect on the biological communities of Krispin Drain. Another round of monitoring in 2018 will hopefully further validate these results.
Conrad Zack (Primary Presenter/Author), EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC, czack@eaest.com;
Marty Sneen (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC, msneen@eaest.com;
Larry Bushing (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC, lbushing@eaest.com;
KristieRae Ellis (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC, krellis@eaest.com;