Aquatic EcologY Services

Water Quality Assessments

ESI assists our clients to meet their permit requirements under §404 and §401 of the Clean Water Act, including jurisdictional waters determinations and state water quality certifications. We use the USEPA’s protocols and the USACE’s permitting procedures. We are also familiar with the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) and Headwater Habitat Evaluation Index (HHEI) used by Ohio and Indiana and the Kentucky DSMRE’s Constructed Vegetation Stratum Rank System.

ESI uses state-of-the-art water quality field and laboratory equipment including YSI multiprobes, HACH spectrophotometers, and IDEXX Quanti-Tray systems.

Water quality parameters we frequently sample include:

• dissolved oxygen
• temperature
• turbidity
• pH
• conductivity
• bacteria (e.g., coliform,E. Coli, Streptococcus)
• nutrients (nitrate, phosphorus, ammonia)
• suspended and dissolved solids
• hardness
• biological oxygen demand / chemical oxygen demand
• metals (e.g., nickel, copper, lead, cadmium, chromium, zinc)
• organics (e.g., VOC, BCPs, pesticides, herbicides, oil and grease)
• cyanide and hexachrome
• bioassay

ESI’s aquatic ecologists have a broad background in aquatic ecology, possessing expertise with fishes and macroinvertebrates, components of complete, thorough water quality assessments.

 

 

Click on this link to view specific project experience: AQUATIC ECOLOGY