Objectives for this monitoring effort facilitate assessment of CREP stream goals by evaluating physicochemical and biological trends in relation to conservation practices and providing technical support to the IDNR CREP. There were four main objectives for Phase II.
Objective 1: Continue established monitoring program that provides a basin-wide assessment of status and trends for aquatic life in wadeable streams of the Kaskaskia River basin. Phase I resulted in three years of survey information at locations along a gradient of conservation program land cover, and Phase II continued this survey effort to monitor temporal trends and enhance assessment of spatial patterns.
Objective 2: Expand sampling efforts in focal reaches to better characterize biological assemblages and physicochemical habitats of the four subbasins. Strategic selection of survey locations and additional measures of biotic response will aid assessment of CREP goals by evaluating a gradient of possible physicochemical and biological patterns relative to conservation practices.
Objective 3: Conduct additional monitoring of key aquatic species populations within the Kaskaskia River basin. Response to conservation practices may differ among stream taxa, and employing additional
biological measures for species that may be sensitive to conservation impacts provides opportunity for enhanced analytical resolution.
Objective 4: Provide technical support for IDNR’s Private Lands Programs. INHS staff will assist the IDNR by managing spatial data, developing a process for prioritizing lands for reaching CREP goals and coordinating with State and Federal agencies that interact with Illinois CREP.Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Resource Conservationunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe
