Data for Factors affecting Benthic Macroinvertebrate Health in the City of Roanoke Virginia, 2020 – 2023

The United States Geological Survey Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center (USGS VA-WV-WSC) and City of Roanoke, Virginia assembled this data release to support a report that analyzed factors affecting benthic macroinvertebrate health in the City of Roanoke, Virgina between calendar years 2020 and 2023. The benthic macroinvertebrate and stream habitat sampling and surveying were conducted at eight, 100-meter stream reaches along the Roanoke River and Tinker Creek by Kirk Environmental, LLP and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Benthic macroinvertebrate sampling and physical habitat surveys were conducted in Spring and Fall of each year. Five datasets are presented: 1. Monitoring station locations and information; 2. Benthic macroinvertebrate identifications; 3. Benthic macroinvertebrate taxonomy metadata; 4. Individual Stream Condition Index (SCI) categories based on family-level taxa, the calculated SCI, individual stream habitat categories, and the calculated total habitat; 5. Aggregated water quality and hydrology parameters preceding the dates of macroinvertebrate sampling events. The metadata file “Roanoke_benthic_macroinvertebrate_metadata.xml” contains important information pertaining to the attributes of each entity of data, field and laboratory methods. The "README.txt" file contains a description of each file contained in this data release. This database contains the benthic macroinvertebrate taxonomic identification and abundance data derived from samples collected at each of the eight monitoring stations. Samples were collected and identified by Kirk Environmental, LLP and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality using standard operating procedures. Benthic macroinvertebrate SCI scores and individual metrics were calculated by the USGS following Burton and Gerritsen (2003). Physical stream habitat data were surveyed in both Fall and Spring during the time of benthic macroinvertebrate sample collections. Multiple habitat metrics were measured throughout each of the eight monitoring stations along the Roanoke River and Tinker Creek following standard operating procedures (Barbour and others, 1999). In-situ water-quality and hydrology data were continuously recorded at monitoring stations located near the collection of benthic macroinvertebrate samples and aggregated over short-, medium- and long-term conditions preceding benthic macroinvertebrate sampling.