The consultant will be involved with taxonomic identification of macroinvertebrate data collected by FCNRCD staff pre-removal and one-year post-removal. The purpose of this effort is to track the survival and condition of biological communities upstream and downstream of the dam. Biomonitoring surveys will include Lotic SemiQuantitative Benthic Survey sampling, observation of habitat characteristics, and quantitative processing and taxonomic identification of macroinvertebrate samples. FCNRCD staff will collect biological data at four sampling points, two above and two below the dam over the course of two years. Sampling will be conducted annually as closely as possible to the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VTDEC)’s index period (September 1st to October 15th). Samples collected within the VTDEC’s index period can be assessed using VTDEC’s macroinvertebrate biocriteria and compared to other biomonitoring surveys statewide. Year 1 sampling will occur prior to dam removal. Therefore, actual sampling dates within Year 1 may occur before the VTDEC index period (e.g., July or August), depending on the project’s implementation schedule. Sampling points will generally align with four cross-section areas previously established during the design phase. Two sites (Sites 1 and 2) will be located downstream of the dam, one site will be located within the area impacted by impoundment (Site 3) and one is located upstream of the maximum extent of impoundment (Site 4). Macroinvertebrate samples will be collected in accordance with the Lotic Semi-Quantitative Benthic Survey equipment and sampling methods outlined in Section 6.5.1 in the VTDEC WSMD Field Methods Manual (2022). It is expected that both riffle kick-net sampling and multi-habitat sweep-net sampling will be conducted, depending on the variations of stream conditions at sampling sites above, within, and below the impoundment. The consultant must therefore have relevant experience in taxonomic identification of macroinvertebrates in both high gradient and low gradient streams.
