Project T-66-R1

Project Title: Demonstrating the Benefits of Stream Restoration to Aquatic Communities in the Cache River Basin

Community and/or Species Focus:

1. Validate hydrologic models that predict the stream response to the addition of water to the lower Cache River
2. Quantify oxygen dynamics in the lower Cache River before and after the addition of water
3. Determine how increasing flow in the lower Cache channel will affect the production, abundance, and diversity of macroinvertebrate species

1. ​Developed a model which predicts that delivery of small amounts of water from the upper to lower Cache would decrease the likelihood of hypoxic conditions in the lower Cache
2. Documented several periods of hypoxic and anoxic conditions, finding that oxygen demand in the sediments from the lower Cache had a higher oxygen demand than​ those from the upper Cache
3. The macroinvertebrate community varied during periods of water alteration, demonstrating that the addition of small water volume can have profound effects on shaping stream communities in a short time

Post-Project Survey (if applicable): n/a

Project Period: August 2011 - August 2013

Principle Investigator(s):