Transcript Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring in southeastern Wisconsin

Water Action Volunteers’
Citizen Stream Monitoring
Program
Water Action Volunteers’ Stream
Monitoring
• Wav established 1992
• UWEX/DNR partnership
– River Clean ups
– Storm Drain Stenciling
• Monitoring established 1996
• Diverse group determined
goals, parameters, methods
Program Goals
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Provide opportunity for WI
citizens to monitor streams
Support data sharing for
educational purposes
Provide a communication
network for monitors
Support environmental and
civic groups in monitoring
Increase linkages between
volunteers and public resource
protection programs
Sampling parameters
• All groups able to measure
– not cost prohibitive
• Easy to measure
• Well-represents stream
health over time
Volunteers monitor 6 variables
Variable
Method
Frequency
Temperature
Thermometer
Monthly
Dissolved oxygen
HACH chemistry kit
Monthly
Water clarity
Turbidity tube
Monthly
Biotic Index
(macroinvertebrates)
D-net sampling
Twice a year
(spring/fall)
Habitat
Site assessment
Once a year
Stream flow
Orange float method Monthly
Volunteer Training and Education
•
Annual training organized locally
•
Hands-on
•
3-7 hours
•
Parameters: Chosen locally
•
Summer check-in picnics (opt.)
•
Annual meetings to discuss data
results, for fun and for education
Partnerships make it work
• Citizens’ groups
• Wisconsin DNR
biologists
• UWEX-Basin Educators
• L.W.C.D.s/Local gov’t
• School groups
• University scientists
• Environmental/River
Groups
• Nature Centers
• W.E.R.C.s
Map created by Manitowoc Co. LWCD
Who’s participating in WAV?
• Local programs,
coordinated by
– DNR/UWEX
– Counties/Municipalities
– Non-profit Organizations
– Nature Centers
– Teachers
– Interest groups (e.g.,
T.U., Sierra Club)
WAV assistance for local groups
• Helps initiate local program
• Provides written methods
• Helps local group obtain
equipment
• Sponsors Train the Trainer
events
• Helps to plan and carry out
local training events
WAV assistance for local groups
• Statewide online database
• Website with stream
monitoring information and
resources
• Networking: List server &
conferences
• Data analysis and summaries
Local coordinators’ responsibilities
• Recruit and interact with
volunteers
– Newsletters, presentations,
email, onsite visits, phone
• Organize training, QA/QC
or annual events
• Collect and enter data from volunteers
• Tackle problems volunteers have
(with help from WAV)
Volunteer monitors’ responsibilities
• Attend annual training
• Sample monthly during
monitoring season
• Ask questions
• Submit data to local
coordinator
• Report problems to DNR resources
• Learn about local water
• Have fun
Monitoring Equipment
• Cost $200/ team
• Watershed Education
Resource Centers
(W.E.R.C.s)
– 19 across the state
– Loan a variety of
monitoring equipment
and resources
– Training help
Data accepted into the database
• 6 WAV parameters (using
WAV methods!), and
– pH
– Sample time/date
– Precipitation (daily)
– Rusty crayfish findings
– Staff gage height
– Weather
– Comments
Data Uses
•
•
Educational
Baseline data
– Information about places
where there might not be
other data
– Red flags
– Many eyes in the watershed
•
Can result in DNR learning
about a potential problem and
respond to it before it would
otherwise have become
realized
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Data Sharing
Data Use
Website
News articles
Annual meetings
Brochures
WDNR State of
the Basin Reports
County LWRM
Plans
Accessing the database
1. Go to: http://cleanwater.uwex.edu/wav
Accessing the database
2. Click
“monitoring
database”
button
3. Choose
to Enter
the
Database
The database is
searchable by:
•County
•Site
•Stream Name
New and Upcoming Program
Additions
• Crayfish surveys (Summer
2004)
• Macroinvertebrate
wildcards (Summer 2004)
• Family level identification
key (Fall 2004)
• E. coli monitoring (Spring
2005- pilot)
• Understanding River Data
booklet (Summer 2005)
Kris Stepenuck, WAV Coordinator
608-265-3887
[email protected]
http://clean-water.uwex.edu/wav
http://www.usawaterquality.org/volunteer (E. coli monitoring project information)