Changes in aquatic insect communities of coldwater steams following major stream and riparian habitat improvements

In 2005, a major coldwater stream restoration project was begun near Dorchester, Iowa.  This project involved the streambank stabilization and conversion of riparian areas from thick stands of boxelder and reed canary grass and agricultural fields to native tallgrass prairie to prevent soil erosion in both Waterloo Creek and Duck Creek, and the re-establishment of Brook Creek to its historic streambed.  To assess the effectiveness of these stream restoration efforts, benthic macroinvertebrate communities of these streams were compared to a high-quality control site (South Pine Creek).  Annual summer sampling using surber samplers has shown the restoration has resulted in a significant increase in density and taxonomic richness of benthic macroinvertebrates in these streams, with an increased abundance and richness of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera.