Little Manistee River Activities
May 2, 2009
Macroinvertabrate Study
Facilitator: Joyce Durdel
16 participants
A number of insects referred to as macroinvertabrates call the
Little Manistee River home. These insects are a main food source
for trout. Several processes can affect the macroinvertabrate
population such as flooding, erosion and pollution. Some species
are more tolerant of varying conditions while others are much more
sensitive. Because we can access the insects by wading into the
riverbed and collecting samples for study, we can use them to help
determine the health of the stream. The LMWCC conducts
macroinvertabrate studies annually to help track the relative health
of the Little Manistee River.
A brief review......
Getting the process down.....
"Look at the opening on the snail shell, if it opens to the right, it's
a gilled snail; opening to the left is a pouch snail. Gilled snails are
more sensitive to pollution."
The study at this site indicates that there are a high number of
desirable macroinvertabrates present. Happy trout!
