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Response of benthic macroinvertebrate communities to highway construction in an Appalachian watershed

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Abstract

Highway construction in mountainous areas can result in sedimentation of streams, negatively impacting stream habitat, water quality, and biotic communities. We assessed the impacts of construction of a segment of Corridor H, a four-lane highway, in the Lost River watershed, West Virginia, by monitoring benthic macroinvertebrate communities and water quality, before, during, and after highway construction and prior to highway use at upstream and downstream sites from 1997 through 2007. Data analysis of temporal impacts of highway construction followed a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) study design. Highway construction impacts included an increase in stream sedimentation during the construction phase. This was indicated by an increase in turbidity and total suspended solids. Benthic macroinvertebrate metrics indicated a community more tolerant during and after construction than in the period before construction. The percent of Chironomidae and the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI) increased, while percent of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) decreased. Our 10-year study addressed short-term impacts of highway construction and found that impacts were relatively minimal. A recovery of the number of EPT taxa collected after construction indicated that the benthic macroinvertebrate community may be recovering from impacts of highway construction. However, this study only addressed a period of 3 years before, 3 years during, and 4 years post construction. Inferences cannot be made concerning the long-term impacts of the highway, highway traffic, runoff, and other factors associated with highway use. Continual monitoring of the watershed is necessary to determine if the highway has a continual impact on stream habitat, water quality, and biotic integrity.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the West Virginia Division of Highways for providing partial support for this research. Jim Hedrick and Will Ravenscroft were helpful in collecting data, and Brandon Keplinger and Seth Lemly helped identify benthic macroinvertebrate samples in the lab. Reference to trade names does not imply endorsement of commercial products by the U.S. government. This is scientific article number 3060 of the West Virginia University Agriculture and Forestry Experimental Station.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Geological Survey, West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6125, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA

    Lara B. Hedrick & Stuart A. Welsh

  2. Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6125, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA

    James T. Anderson

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26505, USA

    Lian-Shin Lin, Yushun Chen & Xinchao Wei

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  1. Lara B. Hedrick
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  2. Stuart A. Welsh
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  4. Lian-Shin Lin
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  5. Yushun Chen
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  6. Xinchao Wei
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Correspondence to Lara B. Hedrick.

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Hedrick, L.B., Welsh, S.A., Anderson, J.T. et al. Response of benthic macroinvertebrate communities to highway construction in an Appalachian watershed. Hydrobiologia 641, 115–131 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-009-0070-9

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