BMI Sampling November 2023

Rocky Mountain Flycasters was awarded a Gomolchak ("Gomo") Grant in 2020 and again in 2022 for a project entitled Benthic Macroinvertebrate (BMI) Survey in the Big Thompson River. The goal is to determine one of the health parameters of the river following the flood of 2013 and subsequent stream bed and stream side restoration.

Following several meetings with representatives from the Big Thompson Watershed Coalition (BTWC) and CPW, ten sampling sites were identified on the Big Thompson River (one is on North Fork just above the confluence with the Big Thompson; two more on the North Fork were added in 2022); six sites had been restored and four sites had not been restored.

At each site three samples will be collected; two samples will be collected in a riffle and another in the run below the riffle. Following collection, the samples will be delivered to Timberline Aquatics for estimation of BMI data including taxa and number of macroinvertebrates in each sample.

Volunteers will meet at the JAX in West Loveland on the south side of the parking lot.