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Stream Water Quality Monitoring
Getting set up
Searching and Separating
Getting set up
Since April 2010, NNWB’s Glenn Welch has led a macro-invertebrate monitoring team 4 times a year on the Northwest Branch near the Kemp Mill Trail Head. In more recent years the team added another site farther upstream, in the Sandy Spring area. If you would like to observe, please contact Glenn.Welch@yahoo.com.
The Collecting
Searching and Separating
Getting set up
Following a protocol developed by Nature Forward (previously Audubon Naturalist Society), the team disturbs the stream bed--especially in riffles and under rocks--and collects in a net whatever floats in. They take 20 net collections and transfer findings to a small tub.
Searching and Separating
Searching and Separating
Searching and Separating
The team examines and identifies the small animals without a backbone (benthic macro-invertebrate) using a microscope. They determine how many individuals of each type they found, and stop upon reaching 100. Findings are then returned alive to the stream.
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
The health of a stream can be determined by the critters able to live there: Some require very clean water; another group can tolerate relatively poor water quality; and a third group lies in between. The Northwest Branch in lower Montgomery County is in the fair to poor range. Our mission continues to be to improve the health of our streams.
E-coli 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.
Kem and all our Monitoring Equipment
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
For current E-Coli results, click the button below
The Anacostia Riverkeeper program expanded this summer (2023) to include a Northwest Branch site in Prince George's County at 38th St. as well as the Burnt Mills site in Montgomery monitored the previous 2 years. When the program first began, in summer 2020, the NWB site was in Prince George's County, at Lane Manor Park.