Using an Index of Biotic Integrity to Assess Gold Mine Impacts on Streams
A fish community index of biotic integrity (IBI) was used to compare 6 streams with minor anthropogenic impacts to 3 streams receiving source and non-point source effluents from gold mine operations in the Piedmont of South Carolina. IBI ratings for streams receiving gold mine effluent ranged from very poor to marginally fair, whereas those for the remaining 6 streams ranged from fair to good. The stream selected as a “candidate” reference stream rated consistently good, establishing a potential baseline for attainable conditions for the ecoregion. The IBI supplied biological data that...
