Whiskeytown Aquatic Inventory Assessment
The project focuses on the assessment of aquatic biology, habitat, and water quality conditions of the major WHIS watersheds
This project is part of the NPS-USGS Water Quality Assessment and Monitoring partnership program, developed through coordination with the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (WHIS). WHIS provides recreation for over 700,000 visitors annually and is an integral component of the Central Valley Water Project. An extensive history of logging, mining, and fire suppression threatens the sustainability of the park's aquatic ecosystems. The park has insufficient information on the condition of its aquatic resources, particularly such biological resources as benthic algae, benthic macroinvertebrates, and resident fishes. The project focuses on the assessment of aquatic biology, habitat, and water quality conditions of the major WHIS watersheds. These assessments provide an inventory of the aquatic communities, identify degraded watersheds and potential causes of degradation, and help prioritize watershed restoration projects. Information from this project and the ongoing metals investigations project is critical to developing and assessing the effectiveness of the park's restoration projects and lays the foundation for a Watershed Management Plan.
The project focuses on the assessment of aquatic biology, habitat, and water quality conditions of the major WHIS watersheds
This project is part of the NPS-USGS Water Quality Assessment and Monitoring partnership program, developed through coordination with the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (WHIS). WHIS provides recreation for over 700,000 visitors annually and is an integral component of the Central Valley Water Project. An extensive history of logging, mining, and fire suppression threatens the sustainability of the park's aquatic ecosystems. The park has insufficient information on the condition of its aquatic resources, particularly such biological resources as benthic algae, benthic macroinvertebrates, and resident fishes. The project focuses on the assessment of aquatic biology, habitat, and water quality conditions of the major WHIS watersheds. These assessments provide an inventory of the aquatic communities, identify degraded watersheds and potential causes of degradation, and help prioritize watershed restoration projects. Information from this project and the ongoing metals investigations project is critical to developing and assessing the effectiveness of the park's restoration projects and lays the foundation for a Watershed Management Plan.