What are benthic invertebrates and how has their community been impacted?
Benthic invertebrates are animals without a spine, visible to the naked eye, that live in the bottom of aquatic systems. This includes such organisms as worms, clams and fly larvae. They have varying degrees of sensitivity to pollution and are exposed directly to the conditions in the environment. As a result, their presence or absence serves as useful indicators for assessing the water body’s health. The growth of certain species of pollution-sensitive invertebrates has been inhibited downstream of the Pickard Centre discharge, including the complete absence of fingernail clams. It is believed that the zone of influence is limited to within 1.8 km downstream of the Pickard Centre.
