STREAM COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO ROAD CONSTRUCTION SEDIMENTS

This study investigated how aquatic macrobenthic and fish communities responded to the effects of siltation from highway construction. Community response was evaluated on the basis of community diversity and changes in the numbers of organisms and/or species. An innovative computer program calculated the diversity indices, using the sequential comparison technique. The primary response observed among the macrobenthic and fish communities was a reduction both in numbers of species and in organisms downstream from the construction. This study found that erosion-control measures as they commonly are applied in highway construction are of limited value in preventing damages to stream communities, especially in early construction stages. This indicates a need for more comprehensive and particularly more timely application of appropriate erosion-control techniques.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Prepared in cooperation with Virginia Commonwealth Univ., Richmond. Dept. of Biology.
• Corporate Authors:

  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg

  Department of Agronomy
  Blacksburg, VA  United States  24061

  Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond

  Center for Public Policy, 919 West Franklin Street, P.O. Box 843061
  Richmond, VA  United States  23284-3061

  Office of Water Resources Research

  C Street between 18th and 19 Sreets, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20242
• Authors:
  • Reed, JRJ
• Publication Date: 1977-6

Media Info

• Pagination: 66 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Aquatic life; Benthos; Computer programs; Construction; Erosion control; Fishes; Flow; Habitat (Ecology); Road construction; Roads; Sampling; Sediments; Sequential analysis; Silts; Streamflow; Streams; Tables (Data); Water pollution
• Geographic Terms: Virginia
• Old TRIS Terms: Abundance
• Subject Areas: Construction; Data and Information Technology; Environment; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00168699
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: VPI-VWRRC-Bull-97, OWRT-A-056-VA(1)
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 27 1978 12:00AM