The Burrowers (Burrowing Mayflies)
By Tabitha Gatts-Hendricks, Stream Team Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator
Mayflies are one of the most diverse orders of aquatic organisms that we get to observe in our waters within Missouri and around the world! Their scientific name is “Ephemeroptera”—which broken down into its Greek roots is “ephemeros” meaning short lived, and “ptera” meaning wings. Mayflies can be categorized by their different types of movements: swimmers, clingers, crawlers, and burrowers. The family of mayflies called Ephemeridae, or Common Burrowing Mayflies, typically live only for a short amount of time as flying adults (the genius Hexagenia for example, rarely live more than 2 days). As nymphs (the aquatic teenagers) they can live up to two years in the water before emerging into their flying adult counterparts. These mayflies are known for burrowing U-shaped curves into slow-flowing, silty sections of aquatic habitat with their distinct tusks. They also have extra-fluffy gills that are used for pushing water across their bodies within their burrowed homes. Being more sensitive to light as nymphs, the Ephemeridae like to stay inside their burrows, picking up particles of food and creating a current with their gills so they can stay well oxygenated, protected, and well-fed in a nice, cozy, soft tunnel below the surface.
Burrowing mayflies are also important for our ecosystems because they are a source of food for fish and other organisms that live in or near aquatic habitats. They help cycle nutrients from in the water to the land, and back into the water when they go from nymph, to adult, and then die on land. Mayflies within this family are generally sensitive to pollution—meaning that the ability burrowers have to resist negative change or impacts to their environment is relatively low. Water bodies in the northern Great Lakes region used to be so polluted back in the 1950’s that burrowing mayflies were in low or non-existent numbers. Now they emerge to mate as adults most years in large masses that can be seen on weather radars. In fact, some of these masses of mayflies that emerge can pose a problem to locals—creating piles of dead mayflies that are sometimes moved with snowplows! So the next time you’re out on the water, try double checking in the substrate of your stream to see if you can find any burrowing mayflies!
What’s a Nurdle? Nurdles: Tiny but Deadly
Janet McIlwee, Team #5863 The Salty Scuds
Rebecca O’Hearn, MDC-Volunteer Programs Manager
I first learned of nurdles from Mary Culler, Executive Director of Stream Teams United. Now I’m on the hunt and hoping you will be too. Nurdles, tiny lentil sized microplastics (about 5mm), made from fossil fuels and other harmful chemicals, are the building blocks in making plastic products. They come in many colors and shapes such as round, flattened orbs, cylindrical, even square. Manufacturers purchase these nurdles then melt and mold them into products like beverage bottles, toys, auto parts, grocery bags, pipes; anything made of plastic. Producing 1 small drinking bottle takes 600 nurdles.
Over 120 billion pounds of nurdles were produced in North America alone in 2022. Each pound is approximately 25,000 nurdles. Hundreds of millions of these tiny pellets spill and are lost into the environment at every stage of the supply chain; during production of nurdles and manufacture of plastic products, during transfer to, and transport by, trucks, trains, barges, and ships. They are blown by the wind, carried by rain, floating in our waters, and washing up on our shores. There have been several major shipping spills. Most recent was off the coast of Spain in 2023, Sri Lanka in 2021, and into the Mississippi at New Orleans in 2020. Gulf states continue to find nurdles by the thousands on their shores. It is estimated 250,000 to 300,000 tons of nurdles enter our oceans annually. That’s trillions of ‘lentils’.
Mistaking nurdles for roe or seeds, they are eaten by birds, fish, turtles, frogs, and invertebrates. These nurdles cause ulcerations, obstructions, and can give animals a sense of fullness where they stop eating, then starve. Predators eat these nurdle laden creatures, sending the toxins up the food chain, including to humans. Once in the environment, nurdles break down even smaller. Microplastics are found in the air, human lungs and bloodstream. It is estimated over 80% of humans harbor microplastics in their bodies. Nurdles can also block sunlight, deterring marine plant growth, or smother marine plant beds used as nurseries by small fish.
Although the federal government and states have not classified nurdles as pollutants or hazardous, they do have a responsibility to clean up or prevent spills.
In Missouri waters are protected from nurdles under Missouri’s Storm Water Regulations 10 CSR 20-6.200 and Missouri’s State Water Quality Standards under General Water Quality Criteria 10 CSR 20-7.031(4).
Stormwater regulations mandate that minimum best management practices (BMPs) must be implemented onsite at all facilities to keep solid waste from entering waters of the state. Examples of solid waste could include virgin and recycled plastic resin pellets, powders, flakes, powdered additives, regrind, dust, and other types of pre-and post-production plastics, as well as pieces of shredded or chunked tires or other recycling residue. For example, direct stormwater away from areas where storage, loading and unloading, and material handling occur and perform good housekeeping to prevent the discharge of discolored or otherwise impacted stormwater. Check out the Missouri Department of Natural Resources website for an example of a stormwater permit associated with plastics and rubber manufacturing, molding, and recycling industries.
Missouri’s General Criteria, affectionately referred to as “free from” criteria by pollution biologists, state that waters shall be “free from” substances and conditions that would negatively impact the designated uses of such water. Protections against unsightly conditions and negative impacts to biological life fall under the General Criteria. Check out the full text of the General Criteria on the Missouri Secretary of State website.
Federal lawmakers are attempting to bolster existing regulations. There are identical bills in the United States House and Senate to regulate nurdle spills, the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act, H.R. 7634 and S. 2337. Currently, both are in committees. I’ve written my U.S. representative and senators regarding this bill, hoping you will do the same.
I take 10 minutes to search for nurdles along recent tidelines on the shores of Missouri rivers, reporting my findings to Nurdle Patrol. They are 1 of a few organizations collecting data throughout the world. Check out the data map on their website. I’ve found plenty on the Mississippi shore downstream of St. Louis industrial area. Join me in the hunt and submit your data. It could be invaluable in effecting positive change.
Lastly, if you see something, say something! If you see an active spill, call 573-634-2436 to report it to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources 24-hour emergency response hotline. For observations of past spills or contamination, report your concern through the Department of Natural Resources online form.
Watershed celebration
Watershed Celebration 2024 – July 27th
Join with Missouri Stream Teams from around the state -- this year we celebrate the 28th annual Watershed Celebration Picnic, the 25th anniversary of Stream Teams United, and the 35th anniversary of the Stream Team Program!
This event is hosted by Stream Teams United and Missouri Stream Team Associations to celebrate YOU! Come celebrate with us at the Hickory Ridge Conference Center and Overlook Pavilion at Meramec State Park on July 27th. The gathering begins at 10 AM and concludes around 4 PM.
Note: The festival event area is a kid friendly zone, which includes being a smoke-free, drug-free, alcohol-free, and dog-free area. Please do not smoke or consume alcohol within the event area. Please keep your dog outside of the festival booth and picnic area. For more information, visit https://www.streamteamsunited.org/watershed-celebration-picnic.html
Deer Creek Nature Challenge 5/13/2024
Join us for a Deer Creek Nature Challenge live macroinvertebrate identification session to collect, document, and identify macros and compliment the Missouri Stream Team Water Quality Monitoring training. If you are thinking about completing the training, you would like to go out with someone to brush up on your skills, or you have completed the training, but aren't sure where to start, then this session is for you.
RSVP here: 2024 Nature Challenge Event - Deer Creek Watershed Alliance (deercreekalliance.org)
Saint Joesph Missouri River Clean-Up 5/18/2024
Missouri River Relief will be hosting a large-scale Missouri River cleanup event at French Bottom river access in St. Joseph, Missouri on Saturday, May 18th! - Cleanup time: The cleanup will start at 9:00AM and volunteers will begin returning to the boat ramp around noon. - Cleanup location: French Bottom River Access, St. Joseph, MO - https://bit.ly/french-bottom-access - Volunteers should: Wear sturdy boots or shoes (no flip-flops!) and both work and weather-appropriate clothes - bring sunscreen and bug spray. - What we provide: Work gloves, drinking water, life jackets, trash bags, tools, boat rides to cleanup sites and lunch for all volunteers. Registration opens March 18th. Check out the event webpage for more details and to register for the cleanup - https://bit.ly/stjoe-2024
Eminence Spring Stream Team Cleanup 5/18/2024
12 pm Registration at Eminence Ballpark 16581 Tom Akers Rd, Eminence, MO https://maps.app.goo.gl/4dm74LLp88UomZDh9
Equipment provided Claw Grabbers Gloves
Goodies provided for participants.
Event information scenicrivers@streamteamsunited.org
Eminence Spring Stream Team Cleanup
Pine Lawn Community Clean Up 5/18/2024
Event is from 9 am to 1 pm. Please arrive ready to start at 9 am
Pine Lawn City Hall
6250 Steve Marre Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63121
To sign up, call: (314) 261-5500 ext. 1
Please leave a message with your name, phone number and email so that you can be contacted if there are any changes for event day.
Sundy Whiteside Keeping It Clean - Honeysuckle Hack & Brush Removal 5/18/2024
4150 W Belle Pl, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA (map)
Sundy Whiteside Keeping It Clean Vandeventer Neighborhood Cleanup Honeysuckle Hack and Brush Removal May 18 from 8:30 am to 12 pm. Meet at Christian Union Church 4150 West Belle Place St. Louis, MO For more information, please contact Michael J. von Gebel vongebelm@gmail.com 314-546-3135
River Clean-up 5/19/2024
Meet at 9 am at the River front on Sulphur Springs Landing for a litter pickup Please contact: janethinch69@gmail.com with questions.
River Rescue Clean-Up 6/8/2024
H.L. Kerr Access to Ralph Cox Memorial Access (Galena, MO) (map)
Come join us for our largest annual river clean-up on Saturday, June 8. This year we will be holding River Rescue from H.L. Kerr Access to Galena (Ralph Cox Memorial Access). Pre-registration is required and will open on May 1, 2024.River Rescue is being offered free of charge this year because of generous donors to the Larry Martin River Rescue Memorial Fund. We are increasing the sustainability and accessibility of our River Rescue event this year. The event will be free of charge and lunch will be provided for all volunteers, but we will not have t-shirts. Floating: Reserve a canoe or bring your own boat. More details to follow. Shuttling will be provided. Please supply your own youth life jackets for anyone in your party. Only adult life jackets available. Any River Rescue participants under the age of 18 must have a legal guardian (18+) physically present on the day of the event to sign a waiver. Please contact us with any questions, or to register a group of more than 4 participants. Event: 8:30am to 1pm.
More info: Email: toddwilkinson@jamesriverbasin.com
Stream Team Volunteering with Missouri State Parks 6/9/2024
Are you interested in volunteering with the park for a one-time event (or more) that allows you to help the park with a stream team activity? If you answered yes, then sign up for this event to be selected to help out. Seats are limited to 20. If you are not able to attend this program, that's okay—we will have more opportunities like this in the future. All participants will need to plan to get wet. Meet at the Visitor Center. Sign up for these events via the link below:
Missouri State Parks - Programs And Special Events (usedirect.com)
Bike with your Boots On 6/15/2024
Fultz Field Parking lot along River des Peres Boulevard (map)
June 15, 2023 at 9:00 am
River des Peres Watershed Coalition invites experienced water quality monitors and interested volunteers to participate in Bike with Your Boots On along River des Peres Greenway in St. Louis!
No experience in water quality testing is required, but everyone must wear a bike helmet if bike riding. Trained water quality monitors will collect water quality monitoring data from sites and can offer opportunities for new trainees or interested citizens to observe. Volunteers can choose to bike ride on the greenway trail or drive directly to the monitoring sites. Please bring a water bottle to keep hydrated and be prepared for the possibility of getting your feet wet.
Meet at Fultz Field parking lot along River des Peres Blvd, St. Louis Missouri. We need experienced water quality monitors to collect data and those interested to learn more about community water monitoring are invited. We can use the chemistry data collected throughout the day to have a snapshot of the health of the River des Peres watershed. RSVP to info@riverdesperes.org if you are interested!
Calendar of Events
Wondering how to get started with your new team? Check out our Calendar of Events.
Need help advertising your event? Or struggling to recruit volunteers for a clean-up? We are here to help! Submit a request to advertise through our website calendar, or send an email to StreamTeam@mdc.mo.gov to request an ad through a StreamGram or Facebook post.
Increasing Algal Blooms – When in Doubt, Report and Stay out
By Laura Richardson, Stream Team Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program Coordinator
According to the legendary expertise of Punxsutawney Phil, 2024 was predicted to have an early spring. The affects were felt in Missouri as temperatures warmed, with highs reaching over 70 degrees Fahrenheit and the average temperature in the 40s during the month of February. As the weather has gotten warmer, stream teamers may be coming out of their dens and noticing that some streams have more algae than usual. This could be, in part, because of warmer weather and sunlight hitting the streams with no shade. Although algae is natural to stream ecosystems, excessive algal growth, called algal blooms, can be a cause of concern and harm to our water resources. Some algal blooms can negatively impact aquatic life and cause fish kills. They can also generate toxins that can cause illness in humans and sometimes death when ingested by animals. These blooms are called Harmful Algal Blooms, or HABs. According to the EPA, a potential effect of climate change, paired with our human impacts with nutrient pollution, will be algal blooms becoming more severe and occurring more often in our waters. Late summer is typically when blooms are more likely to occur because of slower water, higher temperatures, and more sunlight. However, as climate change progresses, water temperatures may be warmer for longer periods of time, which can further increase the growth of species of algae that can produce toxins. Climate change may also increase the intensity and duration of rainfall, which can cause greater volumes of nutrient runoff, fueling increased algal growth. If heavy rainfall is followed by drought conditions, the nutrients may be retained in water bodies for a longer period of time, which can allow for even more algal growth. If these blooms continue to increase, so should awareness and follow-up to these events. Stream Teamers can help discover, report, and spread awareness to reduce negative impacts of an algal bloom. The message for algal blooms is “WHEN IN DOUBT, REPORT AND STAY OUT!” Stream Teamers can help by following these steps:
Reporting a HAB notifies Missouri’s HAB Response team to help with follow up monitoring and spread awareness of concerns or closures related to the bloom.
Since our last issue of Channels, Stream Team members reported:
Check out more highlights below . . .
Wears Creek Cleanup – the legacy continues!
2024 marks 26 years of the Wears Creek Cleanup in Jefferson City. The first cleanup was organized by Sherry Fischer, former Stream Team Coordinator. This cleanup is now a part of Serve Jeff, a community-wide service day. After all these years, Sherry is still helping with the Wears Creek Cleanup, now with her grandson in tow (pictured). On April 20th, 55 volunteers helped remove 80 red bags of trash and three tires from Wears Creek and its banks.
Plogging the Greenway
April 20th was the second annual Plogging the Greenway litter cleanup event with Serve Jeff City. This year 21 volunteers removed 32 red bags of trash from the Jefferson City Greenway Trail that runs beside Wears Creek.
Missouri Whitewater Association – Team 6414 braved some cold and rainy weather to “Show the Saint some MO Love” on the St. Francis River on January 27. Look at that haul. Yowsers!
Pomme De Terre Stream Team #6563 had citizens vigilant and seeking habitat restoration and stewardship long before they officially formed a Missouri Stream Team. We appreciate their dedication and outreach for the “Pomme” watershed. Because of their efforts they successfully brought concerns about point and nonpoint pollution to local and state decision makers, Thank you!
The 100 Club
These are individuals that have contributed more than 100 hours since the last issue:
Life Beneath the Stream Bed exists!
A Celebration of Great Rivers State Day on April 18th
By Mary Culler, Stream Teams United Executive Director
I love Missouri’s rivers and streams. If you are a Missouri Stream Team member, it’s probably safe to say that you do too! For the first eight years of my career, I worked as an aquatic biologist in some capacity, and had the opportunity to sample and study fish, crayfish, mussels, macroinvertebrates, and plankton in Kansas, Iowa, and my native home state of Missouri. My field work took me to many diverse and interesting places throughout some of our neighboring states and Missouri.
One of my favorite and most memorable sampling trips was during 2007, when I served as the crew leader for the state crayfish research team with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Resource Science Division. We were working on a study investigating the abundance of crayfish found in Rock Creek, Missouri, an intermittent stream in the southwest part of our state, near Roaring River State Park on the west side of Table Rock Lake. During the summer, the stream was dry, and our task as researchers involved carefully removing by hand the cobble and gravel from the dry stream bed in 1 meter x 1 meter areas, then identifying and counting any crayfish we found, living beneath the dry stream bed. That’s right, as the stream dried, the crayfish (including state species of concern William’s crayfish and Meek’s crayfish) sought refuge in the moist hyporheic zone beneath the dry stream bed! You can read more about this study in the published research article, “Imperiled crayfishes use hyporheic zone during seasonal drying of an intermittent stream” (DiStefano et. al 2009).
Fast forward 17 years, and the 2024 regular session of the Missouri state legislature is in full swing. This session, we have seen an attempt by a couple state legislators to remove Missouri Clean Water Act protections from intermittent streams (and also wetlands and groundwater), through two proposed bills HB1691 and SB981. Since the bills were filed in early December last year, Stream Teams United has been working to interpret the effects these bills would have, and raise awareness about this damaging legislation.
The condition of our rivers and streams in Missouri has changed greatly over the last two centuries. Many Missouri streams have water quality impairments that have affected our native aquatic species, but we still have many high-quality streams and important aquatic habitats across the state, including the habitat found in our intermittent streams! With our big rivers, historically prairie streams, Ozark streams, and more, we truly are the “Great Rivers State”!
On April 18th, Stream Teams United hosted our 4th Great Rivers State Day at the Missouri State Capitol. A group of Missouri Stream Teams and water advocates visited the capitol to celebrate and highlight our important water resources and met with elected officials to share the importance of our local rivers and streams. We recognized Senator Doug Beck for sponsoring Senate Bill 1419, that proposes to reinstate the public majority on the Missouri Clean Water Commission, and Senator Jason Bean for sponsoring Senate Bill 782 that proposes a system to permit water exports from the state.
What is your special story about your local river or stream? It’s a good time to share that with your state representative and senator. Get to know them, and invite them to a local Stream Team event in their district. Let your elected officials see first-hand how Missourians care for their local waterways.
1st Quarter Activity Prize Drawing
1st Quarter Prizes:
CrossFire HD, Vortex 8 x 42 Binoculars
Big Bat Box by Wildyard, 2 chamber Cedar Bat House
Peterson Mammals Field Guide
Youth Prize:
Bugnoculars, Educational Insights
Fill out an Activity Report for your past or upcoming events, and you could win a prize next quarter!
Missouri Stream Team National Rivers Month Cleanup
St. Louis and Southeast Regions
June 10-16, 2024, at a river, stream, or lake near you!
Join MO Stream Team in celebrating National Rivers Month!
We will have boots on the ground and paddles in the water showing love to our Missouri rivers, streams, and lakes through cleanups focused in, on, and along the water.
Tons of tires, metal and trash are removed by volunteers every year and YOU too can join and make a meaningful difference for our area waterways!
We would like to invite you to participate with us by hosting, promoting, or participating in a litter cleanup during the week of June 10 – 16.
Start a new Stream Team and organize a cleanup with family, friends, or co-workers.
Explore organized opportunities in your area on the MO Stream Team calendar.
Registration is FREE and is open to EVERYONE. Trash bags, gloves, and Stream Team t-shirts will be provided to registered teams.
Learn more about what Missouri Stream Team has to offer and all the ways you can get involved in your community and local waterways.
Explore the Missouri Stream Team website
We rely on our rivers for drinking water as well as recreational activities such as fishing, swimming, and paddling. Rivers and streams serve as habitat for a diverse community of plants, animals, and aquatic life. Many of our rivers and streams are in danger from trash and other pollutants entering our waterways. Our waterways are essential for life and need to be protected.
YOU can make a difference! June is the perfect time to get on the water. School is out and the long says of Summer are beginning. Celebrate with Missouri Stream Team and have a fun day in the outdoors while making a positive impact on the health of Missouri’s waterways.
Have questions, email streamteam@mdc.mo.gov or call Stream Team at (800) 781-1989
Welcome Anna!
Please welcome Missouri Stream Team’s newest member, Anna Swearengen. Anna recently graduated from Missouri Southern State University. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree, where she majored in Biology with an emphasis in Ecology/Conservation. While in college she was proactive in community service and held the offices of president and secretary with the Environmental Health & Safety Club and served as the public relations officer with the Women in Science organization. Anna has close ties to conservation and sees the public connections at places like Walter Woods Conservation Area and George Washington Carver National Monument.
Anna will be serving as the Volunteer Engagement Assistant in the Ozarks and Southwest regions of the state.
Farewell Jacobo
After a year of meeting amazing individuals and learning so much about Missouri’s rivers and streams, I am sad to say goodbye. I will still be working as an MDC employee but as a Resource Technician. The work being done by passionate people throughout the state has inspired me and taught me a lot about what it means to give back to our community and how we all can act to improve our environment. To all the professionals I’ve met, from those who have been volunteering for 30+ years and to the many who are just starting I truly appreciate the warm welcome and knowledge that the river community has given me.
Data Stars
Congratulations to the 2023 VWQM Data Star award winners! We want to celebrate those who were able to collect full submissions for their sites. These dedicated volunteers completed at least two submissions of macroinvertebrates, discharge, water chemistry, and visual survey as a level 1 trained volunteer or higher! We are inspired by the Data Stars’ dedication to continue providing data on Missouri streams during the year 2023. We appreciate the high-quality, long-term data that Repeat Data Stars have provided for streams throughout Missouri. So once again, thank you and congratulations to the 2023 Data Stars!
Paddle-MO: Registration is open!
Want to explore the wild beauty of North America’s longest river? Visit historic river towns and savor local food while camping each night in picturesque surroundings. You’ll learn from historical and scientific experts as you go and make friends with your fellow paddlers along the way! What are you waiting for?
The Burrowers (Burrowing Mayflies)
What’s a Nurdle?
Save the Dates!
Monitoring Minute
Riffle Review
Coalition Corner
Activity Prizes
National Rivers Month
Welcome and Farewell
Data Stars
Announcements
Spring 2024