Who lives in your stream? Rivers and streams, even small ones, are teeming with a vast number of species, including fish, aquatic invertebrates, and algae. Stream ecology is the study of those aquatic species, the way they interrelate, and their interactions with all aspects of these flowing water systems.
Featured: Pesticide Transformation Products in Small U.S. Streams
Pesticide transformation products are ubiquitous in small U.S. streams, reports a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey, and could be a missing piece to the toxicity puzzle for aquatic life in headwater streams.
Featured Study: Chemical Mixtures in Small U.S. Streams
Mixtures of organic chemicals are ubiquitous in small U.S. streams, reports a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey. In many streams the mixtures could be affecting stream organisms.
Streams are home to countless species, some of which we’re familiar with, and some less so. The aquatic organisms in streams include fish, of course, but go far beyond that. Molluscs, like clams and mussels. Amphibians, like salamanders and frogs. The larvae of many insects, like dragonflies, damselflies, and mayflies. Algae and bacteria.
Stream ecology encompasses the study of these aquatic organisms, but also the study of the riparian zone, sediment transport, the movement of energy and nutrients within the stream, and a host of other aspects of stream ecosystems. USGS National Water-Quality Program studies of stream ecology seek to:
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Assess the status and trends of aquatic ecological conditions (invertebrates, fish, algae and habitat) in rivers and wadeable streams.
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Relate ecological conditions to chemical stressors (such as nutrients and pesticides) and physical disturbances (such as habitat and hydrologic alterations) in the context of different environmental settings and land uses.
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Enhance understanding of factors that influence the biological integrity of streams and how stream ecosystems may respond to diverse natural and human factors.
-
Develop key ecological indicators of aquatic health.
How Healthy Are Our Streams?
Healthy functioning stream ecosystems provide society with many benefits, including water purification, flood control, nutrient recycling, waste decomposition, fisheries, and aesthetics. Access a national assessment of the ecological health of our nation’s streams.
Water Quality and Ecology of Small Streams (RSQA)
The Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) is studying the relations between stressors (chemical and physical) and stream ecology (fish, algae, and aquatic invertebrates) at hundreds of small streams across five major regions of the United States. Users can access an online mapping tool to see scorecards that summarize stream health at each stream site and to compare water quality at small streams across a region. Users also can download data for hundreds of chemical compounds measured in streams.
Humans, just like aquatic organisms, need water, but flood control, urban infrastructure, irrigation of agriculture, and myriad other ways we manage water affect the natural flow of streams and rivers. Learn how the ways we manage land and water affects the natural patterns of streamflow and the ecosystems that depend on them.
Nutrients and Stream Ecosystems
Intensive studies by the USGS National Water Quality Program in agricultural areas provide insight into how nutrients associated with agricultural activities have affected algal and invertebrates communities in agricultural streams.
Effects of Urban Development on Stream Ecosystems
Nowhere are the environmental changes associated with urban development more evident than in urban streams. Contaminants, habitat destruction, and increasing streamflow flashiness resulting from urban development have been associated with the disruption of biological communities, particularly the loss of sensitive aquatic species. Read about a comprehensive study of effects of urban development on stream ecosystems in nine major metropolitan areas of the U.S.
Learn about USGS research related to stream ecology at the links below.
Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA)
NWQP Research on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
Nutrients and Eutrophication
Urban Land Use and Water Quality
Water Quality in the Nation’s Streams and Rivers – Current Conditions and Long-Term Trends
Agriculture and the Quality of the Nation's Waters
Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat, PAHs, and Environmental Health
Pesticides and Water Quality
Mercury
Streamflow Alteration
Water-Quality Benchmarks for Contaminants
Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA)
Surface-Water Quality and Ecology
Below are news stories associated with this project.
Isotopic tracers in fish in Northeast provide clue to mercury sources
Isotopes of mercury in fish can indicate the source of that mercury, reports a new study from the USGS Regional Stream Quality Assessment.
- Overview
Who lives in your stream? Rivers and streams, even small ones, are teeming with a vast number of species, including fish, aquatic invertebrates, and algae. Stream ecology is the study of those aquatic species, the way they interrelate, and their interactions with all aspects of these flowing water systems.
Featured: Pesticide Transformation Products in Small U.S. Streams
Pesticide transformation products are ubiquitous in small U.S. streams, reports a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey, and could be a missing piece to the toxicity puzzle for aquatic life in headwater streams.
Featured Study: Chemical Mixtures in Small U.S. Streams
Mixtures of organic chemicals are ubiquitous in small U.S. streams, reports a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey. In many streams the mixtures could be affecting stream organisms.
Streams are home to countless species, some of which we’re familiar with, and some less so. The aquatic organisms in streams include fish, of course, but go far beyond that. Molluscs, like clams and mussels. Amphibians, like salamanders and frogs. The larvae of many insects, like dragonflies, damselflies, and mayflies. Algae and bacteria.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Aquatic invertebrates, dragonfly, amphibian, and algae from stream ecology sampling as part of the Regional Stream Quality Assessment. Stream ecology encompasses the study of these aquatic organisms, but also the study of the riparian zone, sediment transport, the movement of energy and nutrients within the stream, and a host of other aspects of stream ecosystems. USGS National Water-Quality Program studies of stream ecology seek to:
-
Assess the status and trends of aquatic ecological conditions (invertebrates, fish, algae and habitat) in rivers and wadeable streams.
-
Relate ecological conditions to chemical stressors (such as nutrients and pesticides) and physical disturbances (such as habitat and hydrologic alterations) in the context of different environmental settings and land uses.
-
Enhance understanding of factors that influence the biological integrity of streams and how stream ecosystems may respond to diverse natural and human factors.
-
Develop key ecological indicators of aquatic health.
How Healthy Are Our Streams?
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Sample collection during California Stream Quality Assessment (CSQA) ecological surveys at Alameda Creek, California (Credit: Barbara Mahler, USGS). Healthy functioning stream ecosystems provide society with many benefits, including water purification, flood control, nutrient recycling, waste decomposition, fisheries, and aesthetics. Access a national assessment of the ecological health of our nation’s streams.
Water Quality and Ecology of Small Streams (RSQA)
The Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) is studying the relations between stressors (chemical and physical) and stream ecology (fish, algae, and aquatic invertebrates) at hundreds of small streams across five major regions of the United States. Users can access an online mapping tool to see scorecards that summarize stream health at each stream site and to compare water quality at small streams across a region. Users also can download data for hundreds of chemical compounds measured in streams.
Humans, just like aquatic organisms, need water, but flood control, urban infrastructure, irrigation of agriculture, and myriad other ways we manage water affect the natural flow of streams and rivers. Learn how the ways we manage land and water affects the natural patterns of streamflow and the ecosystems that depend on them.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Water quality sampling in Sausal Creek, California (Credit: Bryce Redinger, USGS) Nutrients and Stream Ecosystems
Intensive studies by the USGS National Water Quality Program in agricultural areas provide insight into how nutrients associated with agricultural activities have affected algal and invertebrates communities in agricultural streams.
Effects of Urban Development on Stream Ecosystems
Nowhere are the environmental changes associated with urban development more evident than in urban streams. Contaminants, habitat destruction, and increasing streamflow flashiness resulting from urban development have been associated with the disruption of biological communities, particularly the loss of sensitive aquatic species. Read about a comprehensive study of effects of urban development on stream ecosystems in nine major metropolitan areas of the U.S.
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- Science
Learn about USGS research related to stream ecology at the links below.
Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA)
The goals of the Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) are to characterize multiple water-quality factors that are stressors to aquatic life (contaminants, nutrients, sediment, and streamflow alteration) and to develop a better understanding of the relation of these stressors to ecological conditions in streams throughout the region.Filter Total Items: 13NWQP Research on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are caused by a complex set of physical, chemical, biological, hydrological, and meteorological conditions. Many unanswered questions remain about occurrence, environmental triggers for toxicity, and the ability to predict the timing, duration, and toxicity of HABs.Nutrients and Eutrophication
Like people, plants need nutrients, but too much of a good thing can be a problem. Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, occur naturally, but most of the nutrients in our waterways come from human activities and sources—fertilizers, wastewater, automobile exhaust, animal waste. The USGS investigates the source, transport, and fate of nutrients and their impacts on the world around us.Urban Land Use and Water Quality
Wherever you live, there’s a creek or stream near you. The eighty percent of Americans who live in metropolitan areas are often unaware of the network of urban creeks—many teeming with life—that weaves through our cities and town. Nowhere are the environmental changes associated with urban development more evident than in urban streams.Water Quality in the Nation’s Streams and Rivers – Current Conditions and Long-Term Trends
The Nation's rivers and streams are a priceless resource, but pollution from urban and agricultural areas pose a threat to our water quality. To understand the value of water quality, and to more effectively manage and protect the Nation's water resources, it's critical that we know the current status of water-quality conditions, and how and why those conditions have been changing over time.Agriculture and the Quality of the Nation's Waters
Intensive studies by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project in agricultural areas provide insight into how agricultural activities have altered the natural flow of water and the way that agricultural chemicals enter streams and aquifers, and in particular how nutrients affect algal and invertebrate communities in agricultural streams.Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat, PAHs, and Environmental Health
Sealcoat is the black, viscous liquid applied to many asphalt parking lots, driveways, and playgrounds in North America to protect and enhance the appearance of the underlying asphalt. Coal-tar-based pavement sealcoat is a potent source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in urban and suburban areas and a potential concern for human health and aquatic life.Pesticides and Water Quality
Pesticides are chemicals designed to kill pests, including insects (insecticides), weeds (herbicides), and fungi (fungicides). The USGS assesses the occurrence and behavior of pesticides in streams, lakes, and groundwater and the potential for pesticides to contaminate our drinking-water supplies or harm aquatic ecosystems.Mercury
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can affect the human nervous system. Eating fish contaminated with mercury can cause serious harm to people and wildlife.Streamflow Alteration
Humans, just like aquatic organisms, need water. Flood control, urban infrastructure, irrigation of agriculture, and myriad other ways we manage water affect the natural flow of streams and rivers. How do the ways we manage land and water affect the natural patterns of streamflow that ecosystems depend on?Water-Quality Benchmarks for Contaminants
How does the water quality measure up? It all depends on what the water will be used for and what contaminants are of interest. Water-quality benchmarks are designed to protect drinking water, recreation, aquatic life, and wildlife. Here you’ll find links to some of the most widely used sets of water, sediment, and fish tissue benchmarks and general guidance about their interpretation.Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA)
The goals of the Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) are to characterize multiple water-quality factors that are stressors to aquatic life (contaminants, nutrients, sediment, and streamflow alteration) and to develop a better understanding of the relation of these stressors to ecological conditions in streams throughout the region.Surface-Water Quality and Ecology
Research by the USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project on water quality of rivers and streams covers a broad range of topics, from nonpoint pollution issues to vulnerability of aquatic ecosystems. Dive in and find out more about current water-quality conditions, how and where water quality is changing, and the latest information on pesticides, nutrients, and other contaminants. - Data
- Publications
- News
Below are news stories associated with this project.
Isotopic tracers in fish in Northeast provide clue to mercury sources
Isotopes of mercury in fish can indicate the source of that mercury, reports a new study from the USGS Regional Stream Quality Assessment.