Biological scores for the assessment of biological quality of rivers based on the recommendations of the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP). Each family has a single score irrespective of the number of individuals or species recorded from that family. Family scores are added up to give a single BMWP value for the site at each sample date. Some individual species are also noted, scores for their family are given in brackets, care must be taken to avoid scoring the individual species AND their family or more than one species from the same family.
At each sample date the abundance is also recorded on the following 5 point scale: 1 = 1, 2-10 = 2, 11-100 = 3, 101-1000 = 4, over 1000 = 5.
| Biological score | Species | Common name | 15/6/93 | 25/10/93 | 4/5/94 | 7/10/94 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Neritidae | Snails | 1 | 2 | . | 1 |
| 6 | Viviparidae | Snails | . | 2 | . | 2 |
| 3 | Valvatidae | Snails | . | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| (3) | Potamopyrgus jenkinsi | Jenkins' spire shell | 2 | 3 | . | 2 |
| (3) | Bithynia tentaculata | Snail | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Lymnaeidae | Snails | 2 | 1 | . | 2 |
| (3) | Lymnaea stagnalis | Greater pond snail | . | . | 2 | . |
| 3 | Planorbidae | Ram's horn snails | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | Unionidae | Freshwater mussels | . | . | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | Sphaeriidae | Pea mussels | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1 | Oligochaeta | Worms | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| (4) | Piscicola geometra | Leech | . | 1 | . | . |
| 3 | Glossiphoniidae | Leechs | . | 1 | . | 2 |
| (3) | Glossiphonia complanata | Leech | 1 | . | 3 | . |
| (3) | Erpobdella octoculata | Leech | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Not scored | Hydracarina | Water mites | . | 3 | 3 | . |
| 3 | Asellidae | Water-lice | . | . | 2 | 2 |
| (3) | Asellus aquaticus | Water-louse | 2 | 3 | . | . |
| 6 | Gammaridae | Fresh-water shrimps | . | . | 3 | . |
| 7 | Caenis spp. | May-fly (nymphs) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | Coenagriidae | Damsel-fly (nymphs) | 2 | . | 2 | . |
| 8 | Calopterygidae | Damsel-fly (nymphs) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | Hydrometridae | Watermeasurers | 1 | . | . | . |
| Veliidae | Water crickets | 1 | . | . | . | |
| 5 | Haliplidae | small Water beetles | . | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | Dytiscidae | Water beetles | 1 | 2 | 2 | . |
| 5 | Scirtidae | Water beetles | 1 | . | . | . |
| 5 | Elmididae | Water beetles | . | 2 | . | 1 |
| 4 | Sialidae | Alderfly (larvae) | . | . | 2 | . |
| 4 | Sialis lutaria | Alderfly (larvae) | . | . | . | 1 |
| 6 | Hydroptilidae | Caddis-fly (larvae) | . | . | 2 | . |
| 7 | Polycentropodidae | Caddis-fly (larvae) | . | 1 | . | . |
| 5 | Hydropsychidae | Caddis-fly (larvae) | . | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 7 | Limnephilidae | Caddis-fly (larvae) | . | . | 3 | . |
| 10 | Leptoceridae | Caddis-fly (larvae) | . | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 5 | Tipula spp. | Crane-fly (larvae) | 2 | . | . | . |
| 5 | Simuliidae | Black-fly (larvae) | . | . | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | Chironomidae | Midge (larvae) | 2 | . | 2 | 2 |
| Summary | ||||||
| BMWP total | 71 | 93 | 107 | 88 | ||
| Average score per taxon (ASPT) | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.4 | ||
| Lincoln quality index (LQI) | 4.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 5.0 |
LQI ratings: 1-1.5(I-H) = very poor, 2-2.5(G-F) = poor, 3-3.5(E-D) = moderate, 4-4.5(C-B) = good, above 5(A, A++) excellent.
| River quality objective | Minimum LQI required | |
|---|---|---|
| Salmonid fishery | B | |
| Potable water supply direct to treatment, High amenity value | C | |
| Potable water supply via impoundment, Cyprinid fishery | D | |
| Moderate amenity | E | |
| Low amenity | G |