A Comparison of Macroinvertebrate Sampling Methods on a Stream System in Tyler, TX

East Texas is composed of hardwood and pine forests that contain multiple spring-fed streams with dense canopies. This leads to an abundance and diverse population of macroinvertebrates in stream systems which are utilized to indicate the health of a stream. Analyzing the health of streams is important because they influence the dynamic of downstream systems, like rivers and lakes, which supply clean water for drinking, recreation, and agriculture. This study compares three macroinvertebrate sampling methods which are the Dip net, Surber sampler, and Hester-Dendy. The samples were collected from Quail Creek at TPWD The Nature Center in Tyler, TX to determine the conditions of the stream. The macroinvertebrate communities collected by each method were evaluated by curating a Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) and an Invertebrate Community Index (ICI). An aquatic life score was calculated ranging from limited to intermediate for each method. Past data collected on Quail Creek was used to determine if our samples were accurate. Our work demonstrates that the samples are inconsistent with past data on Quail Creek. Overall, this means that factors like the season the samples were collected, the water flow, and the geology of the stream, caused the data to reflect low macroinvertebrate diversity.