Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Data Collected from Kansas City Metro Area Streams, 2011-2013

During Fall 2011 (Oct. 3-6, 2011), Spring 2012 (March 26-28, 2012), Spring 2013 (April 28-30, 2013), and Fall 2013 (Oct. 22-25, 2013), the USGS-CERC (Barry Poulton) and the Kansas City Water Services Dept. (Jing Tao) sampled stream-dwelling aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in nine watersheds within the non-connected stormwater management region in Kansas City, Missouri, utilizing the Missouri bioassessment protocols. Samples were taken with a rectangular-framed net (500µm mesh netting) from 3 stream habitats (coarse substrate in cobble riffles, depositional non-flow habitat in pools, and rootmats along shoreline areas). Field-preserved samples from each habitat were processed (subsampling with a gridded tray, sorting with 10X magnification under a microscope, and large/rare organisms removed for inclusion in estimates of taxonomic richness) in the laboratory, and macroinvertebrate organisms were enumerated and identified to the lowest practical taxonomic unit. Counts of organisms and recording of large/rare specimens present in the samples but not counted, were entered into electronic datasheets. The data represent counts and presence of aquatic macroinvertebrate specimens as a result of laboratory processing (sorting, enumeration and specimen identification) of the samples that were taken and preserved in the field.