Nebraska’s 81,000 miles of streams can contain a rich diversity of aquatic life. The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) monitors the quality of the state’s rivers and streams to determine if these waterbodies provide a healthy environment for aquatic life to thrive.

As fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates live all or most of their lives in water, they are biological indicators of a watershed’s health. NDEE’s Stream Biological Monitoring Program (SBMP) assesses the health of streams by evaluating the numbers and diversity of resident aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish communities. Data collected from macroinvertebrates and fish helps prioritize resources for watershed improvement.

The general health of a stream’s watershed depends not only on the pollutants present or absent, but the quality of the habitat available for the creatures living there. Nitrogen, phosphorous, pesticides and sediment are some of the common pollutants that can degrade watershed conditions.

These pollutants are commonly introduced into watersheds through crop and livestock production, urban runoff or discharge from sewage treatment. The assortment, composition, and number of species sampled coupled with their varied sensitivities to contaminants make macroinvertebrates and fish excellent indicators of stream health.

Each year, 34-40 streams in Nebraska are chosen for sampling in one to three major river basins throughout Nebraska. During a six-year cycle, all 13 major river basins are monitored. NDEE began biological monitoring in 1983. By 2023, over 2,000 stream sites have been sampled.

Department personnel have collected nearly 600 different species of macroinvertebrates and more than 70 species of fish. The Department’s biological surveys have also provided information on changing abundances and ranges of macroinvertebrates and fish. Some species of fish have been found to occur in many more places than previously thought, while others have shown dramatic declines over the last 30 years.

More information on this monitoring program can be found on NDEE’s Stream Biological Monitoring Program page and by reading the 2023 Water Monitoring Programs Report.