Early Sunday morning, August 22, 2010, just over a dozen members of the Mad Men Chapter of Trout Unlimited gathered in a parking area near a bridge that crosses the Mad River on Ohio State Route 39. Clad in waders and equipped with seine nets, a DO 200 dissolved oxygen meter, and lots of enthusiasm, the group got right to work, wading into the current, kicking up the river bottom, and carrying the resulting mix of rocks, vegetation, and macroinvertebrates to shore for identification.
How to Determine Stream Quality
The group spread the nets on the bank and picked through the contents with painstaking care. Many of the creatures they sought were no larger than a bit of thread or the head of a pin. Don Dean lifted a tiny, black beetle from the mix, holding it on the tip of a pair of tweezers. “That’s a riffle beetle,” he said. “We’re not finding many of these today.” Don holds a Level Two certificate in the state’s Credible Data (Volunteer Monitoring) Program. A number of group members hold Level 1 certificates, including the project leader, Don Boysel. Asked to describe the purpose of the project, Boysel responded,
“To monitor the effects of everything that’s happening to the drainage right now. We can submit all the info in document form. The EPA can take this information and look for changes in the long run. We’re committed to this for the long haul. We’ve seen changes result from our work, but until now we haven’t documented them..”
The group used a tally sheet to determine the stream quality assessment rating at each sampled location. The sheet divides macroinvertebrate species into three categories. Each organism from Group 1 is worth 3 points, each one from Group 2 is worth 2 points, and each one from Group 3 scores just 1 point. Those in Group 1 are least pollution tolerant, and those in Group 3 are most pollution tolerant.
Boysel also tested the water at each location for temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen content. The Mad River is a highly regarded trout fishery, especially for brown trout. Trout require cold water, well-oxygenated and with plenty of small river organisms for food.
Six Ohio Trout Stream Locations Score Excellent
The Mad Men sampled seven locations: SR 36 Access, SR 29/296 Access, Watson Property (private), Pimtown Road Access, West Liberty Park, Mac-O-Chee Creek (Piatt Project Area), and Mac-O-Chee Creek (below bridge).
All six locations sampled scored above 22, in the excellent range. Mac-O-Chee Creek at the Piatt Project Area, where extensive river restoration efforts have been made, had the best results with a score of 42. Boysel cautions that these high scores do not mean there is no reason to be concerned about the condition of the Mad.
Keeping a high-quality trout fishery in top shape requires constant care. Sampling at the park in East Liberty, Boysel pointed out restoration work along the river’s edge, where wooden platforms are anchored into the river bed. These platforms prevent the water from eroding away the banks. The Mad Men have placed partial barriers at strategic points at other places in the river, creating baffles that slow current, resulting in deeper water and improved trout habitat.
Boysel and the Mad Men were obviously enjoying themselves as they waded through the swift currents and sifted through the contents of their nets. However, their commitment to their prized trout fishery, and to the restoration and protection of the environment, is serious. They monitor the river 8 times in the course of a year, and fish it many more times. Every time their fly rods bend under the weight of trout, Boysel and the others have the satisfaction of knowing that their efforts help make that experience possible.
Brenda Layman - I grew up in eastern Kentucky in a family that hunted, fished, hiked, and camped regularly. Although I moved to Ohio to become a teacher ...
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