Large river floodplains provide a broad spectrum of habitat and food resources. Anthropogenic alterations, however, have had detrimental effects on large river biota. To ameliorate this degradation, Swan Lake became a target for restoration via the Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project (HREP), a project conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1994. This project was expected to improve water quality, promote vegetation establishment, and restore aquatic macroinvertebrate communities to benefit wildlife. My study is part of a comprehensive monitoring program designed to evaluate the success of the Swan Lake HREP. My research is focused on three objectives, (1) Assess impacts of Swan Lake HREP on macroinvertebrate communities post-rehabilitation, (2) Provide estimates of macroinvertebrate populations in habitats available at Swan Lake during waterfowl migration, (3) Measure macroinvertebrate response to experimental vegetation manipulations. Results from this study will be used to determine effectiveness of floodplain habitat rehabilitation efforts and management strategies on improving macroinvertebrate populations for the benefit of wildlife.
