Stream Water Quality Monitoring
Getting set up
Searching and Separating
Getting set up
Using Doodle Polling we determine a day and time at least four us an can volunteer for a few hours four times a year, winter, April, July and Oct. If you would like to observe, please contact Glenn.Welch@yahoo.com.
The Collecting
Searching and Separating
Getting set up
In pairs, using a net, we disturb the stream bed and collect in our net whatever floats in. We take 20 net collections and transfer what we find to a small tub.
Searching and Separating
Searching and Separating
Searching and Separating
Any small animal without a backbone that we find on the bottom (benthic macro invertebrate) we examine and identify it. We determine how many individuals of each type we find. We stop when we reach 100.
What Excites Us
Results are Determined
Searching and Separating
There are three orders of insect larva that when present can indicate a healthy stream, these are mayflies (pictured), stoneflies and caddisflies.
What Else We See
Results are Determined
Results are Determined
We of course find crayfish, and larval forms of dragonflies, damselfies, beetles, true flies and others. We count and tally them all.
Results are Determined
Results are Determined
Results are Determined
Currently the health status of streams in lower Montgomery County is not good as they are in the fair to poor range. Our mission then continues to be to improve the overall health of our streams.
E.coli Results for 7/14/21, all 5 sites
E.coli Results for 7/14/21, all 5 sites
E.coli Results for 7/14/21, all 5 sites
NWB is still the best of the bunch, but not as good as 2 weeks ago.
Graph for E.coli Results of 7/14/21
E.coli Results for 7/14/21, all 5 sites
E.coli Results for 7/14/21, all 5 sites
It's so nice seeing that green bar for the NWB!
E.coli results for 7/28/21, all 5 sites
E.coli Results for 7/14/21, all 5 sites
E.coli results for 7/28/21, all 5 sites
Unfortunately, the NWB didn't pass this time, but is not as bad as the others. Bear in mind, of course, that the others feed into the NWB downstream from Burnt Mills.
Graph for E.coli Results of 7/28/21
E.coli results for 8/11/21, all 5 sites
E.coli results for 7/28/21, all 5 sites
Sad not to see a green bar--or at least a yellow one--for the NWB. That's what heavy rain does--washes a lot of nasty stuff straight into the NWB, probably mostly by-passing the riparian buffer.
E.coli results for 8/11/21, all 5 sites
E.coli results for 8/11/21, all 5 sites
E.coli results for 8/11/21, all 5 sites
The site at Burnt Mills definitely suffered from the storms of the previous 2 days. Our usual site was somewhat under water, woody debris was piled against the rocks, and plastic trash was everywhere.
Chart for E.coli Results 8/11/21
E.coli results for 8/11/21, all 5 sites
E.coli results for 8/11/21, all 5 sites
The super high bacterial level--off the chart--makes one wonder about possibly septic or sewer contamination. We had been a little spoiled by that green bar earlier in the summer. Now it's ALL red.
E.coli results for 8/25/21
Chart of E.coli results for 8/25/21
Chart of E.coli results for 8/25/21
We were surprised the results were so bad because Wednesday morning when we scooped the sample, the water appeared to have settled down following the heavy rains of a few days before.
Chart of E.coli results for 8/25/21
Chart of E.coli results for 8/25/21
Chart of E.coli results for 8/25/21
NOT liking that tall red bar for NWB2! How could Sligo Creek, with all the hard cover in its watershed, be better than the Northwest Branch?
E.coli results for 9/8/21
Chart of E.coli results for 8/25/21
Chart of E.coli results for 9/8/21
Once again, the Northwest Branch fails dramatically, while Sligo Creek is pretty decent. How to explain it?
Chart of E.coli results for 9/8/21
Chart of E.coli results for 9/22/21
Chart of E.coli results for 9/8/21
While this is a little better (lower) than last time, it is not at all good.
E.coli results for 9/22/21
Chart of E.coli results for 9/22/21
Chart of E.coli results for 9/22/21
We PASSED at last! But this was before the rain. If you are interested in some of the other measures taken, see the ARK water quality portal here.
Chart of E.coli results for 9/22/21
Chart of E.coli results for 9/22/21
Chart of E.coli results for 9/22/21
It is really a mystery how NWB-2 came out so well this time relative to Sligo Creek, and so poorly the previous two times.
Water quality monitoring at Burnt Mills
Our monitoring site on 5/19/21, 8:00 a.m.
Anne Ambler and Janice Johnson collected two samples for bacteria and one for turbidity
Anne Ambler and Janice Johnson collected two samples for bacteria and one for turbidity
The water was very calm. We collected our samples while crouching on the sand bar at the right edge of the picture and on the adjacent rock. Analysis showed our E-coli counts to be just 36.9 and 38.4 mpn/100mL, the lowest by far of the 5 sites sampled. (The other sites are on Long Branch and Sligo Creek.) If the E-coli level stayed like that, swimming would be safe. But unfortunately, after a rain, E-coli levels rise. 5/19/21
Anne Ambler and Janice Johnson collected two samples for bacteria and one for turbidity
Anne Ambler and Janice Johnson collected two samples for bacteria and one for turbidity
Anne Ambler and Janice Johnson collected two samples for bacteria and one for turbidity
Perched on a rock, Anne shows the turbidity sample. We also check the acidity level and water temperature vs air temperature. Sampling will continue every 2 weeks, and at the end of the summer we'll have a profile of stream quality. 5/19/21
Janice records date and time for each sample.
Anne Ambler and Janice Johnson collected two samples for bacteria and one for turbidity
Rebecca Henson measures air temperature at the second 2021 test, 6/2.
Bacteria samples must be kept on ice and analyzed within 5 hours from collection, so it's a race against time to turn in the samples.5/19/21
Rebecca Henson measures air temperature at the second 2021 test, 6/2.
Rebecca Henson measures air temperature at the second 2021 test, 6/2.
Rebecca Henson measures air temperature at the second 2021 test, 6/2.
That's a thermometer she is holding over the water. 6/2/21
Then she takes the water temperature.
Rebecca Henson measures air temperature at the second 2021 test, 6/2.
Kem Morawski labels the bacteria sample.
The water turned out to be a shade warmer than the air. Perhaps hot water running off pavement? 6/2/21
Kem Morawski labels the bacteria sample.
Rebecca Henson measures air temperature at the second 2021 test, 6/2.
Kem Morawski labels the bacteria sample.
The bacteria sample must be analyzed within 5 hours, so the label must have time as well as date. The e-coli level, averaged between 2 samples, was 249 MPN/100 mL, still passing, but higher than on 5/19. 6/2/21
And of course it must be recorded on the datasheet.
And of course it must be recorded on the datasheet.
And of course it must be recorded on the datasheet.
Monitors also must fill out a chain of custody form. 6/2/21
Finally, the team measures pH.
And of course it must be recorded on the datasheet.
And of course it must be recorded on the datasheet.
They compare the pH strip color to the coding. The water was more alkaline than at the testing 2 weeks earlier. 6/2/21
Kem and all our Monitoring Equipment
And of course it must be recorded on the datasheet.
Map of Monitoring Sites, Results for 6/30/21
After a dry period, the e-coli level at our monitoring site was very good. Kem holds the monitoring kit with ice packs and the clip board for recording our data. 6/30/21
Map of Monitoring Sites, Results for 6/30/21
Map of Monitoring Sites, Results for 6/30/21
Map of Monitoring Sites, Results for 6/30/21
Anacostia Riverkeeper's grant provides for testing on 3 sites on Sligo Creek and 1 on Long Branch in addition to our site at Burnt Mills. This map shows the locations of the sites, with colorful e.coli results.
E.coli Results for all 5 Sites, 6/30/21
Map of Monitoring Sites, Results for 6/30/21
E.coli Results for all 5 Sites, 6/30/21
These results for the NWB are very good-just 95.9 mpn/100ML.
Graph for E.coli for 6/30/21
Map of Monitoring Sites, Results for 6/30/21
E.coli Results for all 5 Sites, 6/30/21
The weather had been dry, so road runoff was greatly reduced. But Sligo Creek still suffered, and of course it feeds into the NWB, which may explain why our E.coli readings farther down the NWB last summer were bad.