Taxonomic Evaluation of Cleveland Harbor Lake Areas
Abstract
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) performs routine maintenance dredging of federal navigation channels. Prior to dredging, an evaluation of the dredged material may be needed to determine the best management alternative. A dredging evaluation involves chemical and biological analysis to determine the potential impacts of the dredged material in both the water column during placement and the settled (inplace) material. Biological analysis employs laboratory toxicity bioassays using water column or sediment-dwelling organisms. Standardized test organisms are used in bioassays as surrogates for organisms indigenous to the dredged material disposal site. Thus, it is important to determine what organisms are present at the disposal site. This report provides a survey of indigenous benthic macroinvertebrates present at prospective disposal site locations considered by USACE Buffalo District for use in the dredging of Cleveland Harbor. Results indicated a relatively low abundance and diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate organisms at the study locations. An analysis of pollution sensitivity of the organisms at the prospective disposal sites indicated that the standard surrogate organisms used in laboratory toxicity bioassays would be adequately protective of the species present at these locations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA592183
Entities
People
- Alan James Kennedy
- James M. Miller
- Nathan E Harms
Organizations
- Engineer Research and Development Center