Aquatic invertebrates in the Warrior Coal Basin of Alabama

Alabama has substantial quantities of high-grade coal with current reserves estimated at 23.4 billion tons. For the coal resources of Alabama to be developed in an environmentally sound manner will require increased knowledge of the aquatic ecosystems. This is necessary as aquatic systems ultimately receive the impact via surface runoff and groundwater infiltration from any perturbation in the terrestrial environment. Aquatic invertebrates are often utilized in conjunction with water quality parameters as indicators of the status of receiving waters in assessment studies. Since most aquatic invertebrates have very limited mobility and yearly life cycles, any dramatic change in their environment is reflected in their population levels. However, in general, aquatic invertebrates are often difficult to identify and, within Alabama, poorly known, both ecologically and faunistically. This lack of information necessitates that mine operators conduct expensive impact studies to meet state and federal environmental regulations.