Examines the sampling techniques, laboratory methods, and data analysis necessary to create a protocol for analyzing the health of streams, using rapid bioassessment techniques. This book explores how to determine reference streams in each ecoregion and subecoregion with specific indices of health.

Regulatory agencies can only determine if the streams that they are examining fall within guidelines once a stream health classification system has been developed. This book describes the processes needed to create a regional system for assessing the health of streams using a relatively rapid system of analysis. The author presents unbiased approaches to determining reference streams in each eco-region and sub-eco-region with specific indices of health. The text provides field methods for monitoring and sampling invertebrates as well as laboratory methods for subsampling. It also includes general listings of health classification and appendices of more than 300 streams that have been sampled.