__ Meter tape to identify location

__ 500 micron mesh Surber sampler

__ (2) 500 micron mesh sieve (or smaller)

__ Waders (for each person)

__ Flagged weight to identify sample location

__ Isopropyl alcohol

__ 1-liter squirt bottle for isopropyl alcohol; second bottle to refill the first

__ Garden trowel to disturb substrate

__ Stop watch

__ (2) White buckets to empty sample from Surber

__ Large cup with handle to rinse invertebrates off Surber

__ Forceps (Tweezers)

__ Plastic spatula

__ Waterproof ("Rite-in-the-rain") paper

__ Pencil, permanent marker (Sharpie), and grease pencil

__ Screw-top vials

__ Ziploc bags

__ Camera

Locate stream reach to be sampled. Find a riffle (fast moving water over rock or cobble substrate, surface water should be broken) near the middle part of the stream. Riffle should be long enough to accommodate three replicate samples. Ideal sampling locations consist of rocks 5 to 10 cm in diameter sitting on top of pebbles. Substrates dominated by rocks larger than 50 cm in diameter should be avoided.

Sample within main flow of the stream. Sample at water depths of 10 to 40 cm. Depth, flow and substrate type should be similar for the three replicate samples collected in the riffle. Begin sampling downstream and proceed upstream for the three replicates.

Avoid bridges and other large human-made structural features. If unavoidable, sample at least 50 meters upstream of a bridge and 200 meters (more would be better) downstream of a bridge.

Write down the exact location of the sample site. Use meter tape to measure distance from nearest landmark.

Sampling teams may range from 2 to 4 people. Actual collection of macroinvertebrates requires 2 people. Others can assist with equipment, labeling collections and other duties.

1. Place Surber sampler on the selected spot with the opening of the nylon net facing upstream. Brace the frame and hold it firmly on the creek bottom.

2. Lift the larger rocks resting within the frame and brush off crawling or attached loosely organisms so that they drift into the net. After 'cleaning' the rocks, place them in a bucket.

3. Once the larger rocks are removed, disturb the substrate vigorously with a trowel or large spike for 60 seconds. This disturbance should extend to a depth of about 10 cm to loosen organisms in the interstitial spaces, washing them into the net.

4. Lift Surber out of the water: Tilt the net up and out of the water while keeping the open end upstream. This helps to wash the organisms into the receptacle. Drop a piece of weighted flagging tape to mark the location of the first replicate sample.

5. On the creek bank, empty contents of Surber into large bucket. Rinse Surber and empty into bucket until all animals are removed. Great care should be taken in this step to collect and preserve all organisms from the Surber sampler as well as from the rocks and water in the bucket. Use of a magnifying glass and tweezers is essential. Rinse bucket through sieve to remove water from sample. Pick out large debris (sticks and leaves) after carefully removing any invertebrates.

Use spatula to move sample from sieve into a plastic vial. Fill vial to the top with isopropyl alcohol. Put label on inside of vial with name of sampler, date, location, and replicate number. Write location and date on top of vial lid. Place vial in a Ziploc bag labeled with the same information.

Return to the location of the first sample, walk upstream and collect another sample of invertebrates. Leave another flagged marker and process the sample as above. Repeat this process once more for a total of three replicate samples from each site location. Each replicate should be labelled (e.g., #1, #2, #3) and archived separately.

Sample collection · Sorting collection samples · Cleaning server

* Protocol furnished by L. Fore, 1997.

Monday, 18-May-1998 13:45:12 PDT