Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID KY_2023_Sena

Evaluating the effects of ecological restoration efforts on stream health in the inner Bluegrass

Institute: Kentucky
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $19,507 Total Non-Federal Funds: $19,516

Principal Investigators: Kenton Sena

Project Summary: The proposed project will evaluate the success of ecological restoration efforts completed in seven urban streams located within the city limits of Lexington, Kentucky. These seven streams will be compared to three unrestored streams and two pristine streams located in or adjacent to Lexington. All sampling will be completed both above and directly below the restored stream sections (14 sites) and in the center of the non-restored (three sites) and pristine sections (two sites). Endpoints utilized include numerous water chemistry characteristics (collected biweekly) and macroinvertebrate diversity. Macroinvertebrate biodiversity will be quantified in spring 2024 using leaf packs and kicknetting, conventional macroinvertebrate sampling techniques. Macroinvertebrate biodiversity will also be quantified using environmental DNA, DNA released by organisms into the environment, and metabarcoding, a method in which all DNA from a taxonomic class of organisms is amplified and sequenced. These molecular analyses will be completed in all 19 sites three times throughout the study (October 2024, April 2024, and July 2024). Overall, the proposed project will support assessment of the effectiveness of stream restoration for improving stream health in urban areas.