Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation’s Biomonitoring and Aquatic Studies Section conducts biological monitoring of Vermont’s rivers and streams using macroinvertebrates to assess the biological integrity of Vermont’s wadeable streams. These data are used to determine attainment status with water quality standards, inform permit conditions, evaluate land use impacts, examine long term trends, and identify waterbodies that are stressed, impaired, or very high quality. Stream macroinvertebrate samples provide a direct measure of the health of aquatic ecosystems and enable the Watershed Management Division to make science-based decisions to protect, maintain, enhance, and restore surface waters.
