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Biomonitoring

The Little Tennessee River Biomonitoring Program has been in place since 1990 and is the primary undertaking of our organization. The program boasts over 2,000 citizen volunteers who have helped assess stream health and collect data on aquatic biodiversity each summer. The program is directed by Dr. Bill McLarney, PhD- an aquatic conservation biologist who has devoted a lifetime to studying the river's health. The body of information Dr. McLarney has amassed over these years has been recognized as one of the most extensive of its kind in North America for a river this size.

The Biomonitoring Project measures river health by using the Index of Biotic Integrity, or IBI, to assess fish communities throughout the watershed.

What is Biomonitoring?

Biomonitoring is a process of evaluating the health of the aquatic environment by looking at the quality of the habitat as well as the specific communities that live within it. Small groups of volunteers work with the program director to catch a representative sample of the fish in stretches of streams throughout the Upper Little Tennessee Watershed.

All About IBI

IBI, or Index of Biotic Integrity, is a method of calculating a numerical index of biological health for a particular stream site. IBI integrates scores for several indicators of ecosystem health, including:

  • Diversity: numbers and kinds of fish present
  • Community Structure: primarily based on feeding habits
  • Fish Health: disease, parasites, presence of sensitive species

The Little Tennessee Watershed Association is always looking for volunteers to help with the Little Tennessee River Biomonitoring Project. If you're interested in helping, please visit our volunteer page.

To access LTWA's data, visit SAIN-NBII (Southern Appalachian Information Node of the National Biological Information Infrastructure)