Water Quality Testing and Recording

Background

When it comes to assessing conditions and overall stream health, water testing is one of the most important factors.  Ascertaining dissolved oxygen, conductivity, salinity, and pH is critical to understanding what species of fish can and cannot live in the respective water.  It can also help identify critically important non-point source pollution such as contaminated stormwater run-off. .

Goals 

Use random water quality sampling and recording to help understand limiting factors and threats to fish.

Approved Equipment 

NFC owns a YSI Pro 2023 meter. The meter can test for dissolved oxygen, conductivity, salinity, and water temperature at depths of up to 25-feet. The meter can be made available to chapters for specific projects at specific times. If we feel that one meter is not sufficient, we will purchase another and house one in the northeast and one in the southeast.

Test Frequency

Water quality testing can be done at random times throughout the season. Some times to focus on are as follows:

  • Early spring as snow melts (run-off impact)

  • After rain events (stormwater run-off impact)

  • Low water

  • Warmwater

Recording

NFC has developed a form for recording and tracking water quality testing. The form is meant to record multiple tests for the same body of water over a period of time:

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Internal NFC 2Bob MallardComment