Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID KY_2024_Sena

Evaluating effects of ecological restoration efforts on ecosystem function in the inner Bluegrass 

Institute: Kentucky
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $19,780 Total Non-Federal Funds: $19,783

Principal Investigators: Kenton Sena

Project Summary: The proposed project seeks to evaluate stream health in restored, unrestored (but impaired), and minimally impaired urban streams in and around Lexington, KY. These streams have been affected by urban development, and generally have poor water quality and support impoverished aquatic communities. This study will evaluate stream health using 1) water chemistry data, 2) macroinvertebrate community data (physical surveys + eDNA), and 3) salamander community data (physical surveys + eDNA). While previous research in these sites has suggested that water quality may indicate restoration success, data from macroinvertebrate communities has been less clear or consistent. Continued macroinvertebrate sampling, with the additional sampling of salamanders, will support assessment of additive effects including water quality and food web effects.