Effects of antimycin treatment on benthic macroinvertebrates in Sams Creek and Starkey Creek, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blount/Sevier counties, Tennessee

The fish toxicant antimycin was applied to Sams Creek and Starkey Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blount/Sevier counties, Tennessee to eradicate nonnative rainbow trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss). Potassium permanganate was applied downstream to detoxify the antimycin. Benthic macroinvertebrate samples were taken at 9 sites inside and outside the treatment zone before and after treatment. Numbers of taxa and individuals declined at all treatment sites in samples taken soon after treatment. Mayflies were almost completely eliminated at the station below the potassium permanganate application. Mayfly taxa and specimens at the potassium permanganate treatment site returned to pre-treatment conditions 5 months after treatment. Numbers of taxa and individuals at antimycin treatment sites returned to pretreatment conditions and treatment sites resembled control sites 9 months after treatment. Community composition also returned to pre-treatment conditions and resembled control sites 9 months after treatment. Antimycin does not appear to have had long-term detrimental effects on benthic macroinvertebrates in this system.