Since 1994, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the State Hygienic Laboratory (SHL) have sampled fish and benthic macroinvertebrates across the state to assess the biological integrity of Iowa's streams and rivers. Benthic macroinvertebrates are small animals, such as aquatic insects, crustaceans, leeches, and snails that live on the stream bottom. The numbers and types of aquatic organisms found in a stream are useful indicators of the stream's health because they reflect changes in water quality and habitat.
Biological assessments are an important part of the 305(b) Water Quality Reporting process, as they provide quantitative data on which assessments of water quality can be made.
BioNet is the application used by the Iowa DNR to store and analyze this biological assessment information and make it available for internal use, external agencies, and the public.