Introduction

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC), in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), has been conducting research on the aquatic macroinvertebrates of the lower Missouri River since the mid-1990s. This research was initiated in response to the need for comprehensive characterization of biological communities inhabiting aquatic habitats in large river systems that have historically been poorly studied. The USGS Status and Trends of Biological Resources Program provided partial funding for pilot studies that began in 1993 when the CERC was part of the USFWS. The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide stakeholders, scientists, management, and the general public with a basic summary of results from studies conducted by the CERC since that time period.

First posted July 27, 2010