Regulatory and resource agencies sometimes require collection of benthic macroinvertebrates and/or fish for baseline data or permit compliance. It is too common for them to not know what they will do with the data. Correctly analyzing and interpreting these data yields valuable information that operators and regulators can use to make well-informed decisions regarding Clean Water Act compliance.
Aquatic biotic communities reflect ambient water quality conditions much better than do chemical concentrations. This is particularly true for benthic macroinvertebrates as they are less mobile than fish. Macroinvertebrates also quickly recolonize areas from which they were extirpated, frequently within a month.