Preparation of Manuals and Guidance Documents for Wetland Bioassessment in Michigan

Several States in the Great Lakes region and elsewhere have  developed procedures for rapid assessment of wetlands in response to  the U.S. EPA National Wetland Program?s priority for establishment  of such procedures. Great Lakes states that have developed programs  for wetland rapid assessment  include Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania,  and Wisconsin.  Many States have also worked to develop indices of  biotic integrity (IBIs) based on plants, macroinvertebrates and  amphibians. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)  has been active in developing indices of biotic integrity (IBIs) for  Michigan wetlands since 1998.  Development of bioassessment  procedures for coastal wetlands based on macroinvertebrates and fish  have been completed and published in peer reviewed scientific  journals. Progress in developing IBIs for inland forested wetlands  is ongoing.  Before these bioassessment procedures can be used  routinely by agency personnel, they need to be collected and  summarized in field manuals.  The primary objective of this project  is to write the needed manuals and summary guidance documents,  publish them through the Michigan State University Extension  Bulletin Office, or a similar type of organization that specializes  in outreach publications, and provide copies to MDEQ for routine use  and distribution.