By: Mary Beth Almond | Metro | Published December 19, 2022
METRO DETROIT — Each winter, staff and volunteers from the Clinton River Watershed Council brave the cold and take to the watershed in search of bugs.
Why?
Watershed ecologist Eric Diesing said the winter stonefly nymph — one of the most sensitive of all aquatic macroinvertebrates that lives in local rivers and streams — is an indicator of good water quality.
The stonefly nymph is most active in the winter, when the water temperature is very cold and there is still plenty of leafy debris on the river bottom for stoneflies to forage.
“Stoneflies are very, very sensitive to disturbance and pollution, so when you find them, it’s a really good sign that there is good water quality within that area,” Diesing explained. “They like very clean, fast-moving, highly oxygenated waters.”
To help evaluate the health of the Clinton River — which covers 760 square miles through Macomb, Oakland, Lapeer and St. Clair counties — the watershed council will host its annual winter stonefly search Saturday, Feb. 4.
However, in order to join the search, a training must be completed to help ID the aquatic bugs. The winter stonefly search training will be held 9-10:30 a.m. Jan. 21 in the Clinton River Watershed office, 1115 W. Avon Road in Rochester Hills.
“We do have limited space at the training for those interested in attending, but I would encourage them to register very soon, or as soon as possible,” said Diesing.
The council relies on up to 100 volunteers, who form teams and canvass around 15-20 locations along the Clinton River and its tributaries, including Paint Creek and Stoney Creek.
“During the stonefly search, in particular, we are searching for the winter stonefly families. There are two different families of stoneflies that have evolved to emerge in the winter to avoid predation, so the best way to find them is during the winter months,” Diesing said.
People of all ages can volunteer for the search.
“It’s a really neat opportunity to see what’s going on out in the watershed when we think that the earth is asleep — all the snow is on the ground and everything is very quiet and sleepy — but we have winter stoneflies that are emerging during this time. It’s the most active time to find them, so it’s a really cool opportunity to take a deeper dive into the ecosystem,” said Kaleigh Snoddy, the director of education and stewardship at the Clinton River Watershed Council.
Volunteers are asked to meet at 9 a.m. Feb. 4 at the Clinton River Watershed Council office for the bug hunt.
“We can take as many individuals as would like to go — we can always add new sites. It’s just important to register ahead of time so we know how many sites we need to have designated. Usually teams range between five and seven people, and we give you everything you need to participate — equipment, data sheets, waders — everything you need is provided to you by the watershed council,” said Diesing.
The search will be held regardless of the weather, so all volunteers are asked to dress warmly. All equipment and supplies will be provided, although volunteers are welcome to bring their own waders.
“It’s up to the individual how much they want to be involved. When you go out to your site, some people will have to get in the water to actually sample for the stoneflies, but others can stay up on the bank,” Diesing explained.
Those interested in volunteering are asked to preregister by calling the watershed council at (248) 601-0606 or by emailing pronoye@crwc.org.
The watershed council also hosts a number of Adopt a Stream trainings in the spring and fall, where volunteers learn how to search for a variety of macroinvertebrates across the watershed.