Water Quality Monitoring
NNWB supports three different stream water quality monitoring programs - all are welcome to voluntee
1. Anacostia Riverkeeper's water quality testing program runs through the spring and summer. It has two sites in the Northwest Branch watershed in Montgomery County and two in Prince George's County. NNWB has partnered on this program for several years. Volunteers are needed for sites in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. If you are interested in doing ARK water quality testing, you can contact the program coordinator for information and take an online training.
2. The Izaak Walton League's Salt Watch program monitors chloride, with a focus on the cold-weather months when jurisdictions and residents use chloride-based ice melt. See our sites here. Contact us to get involved on NNWB's sites.
3. We participate in Nature Forward's macroinvertebrate program (see photos and a description below). See how to participate here.
ARK Water Quality Testing
Collecting samples for bacteria and turbidity
Measuring air temperature
Measuring water temperature
Labeling a sample. The bacteria sample must be analyzed within 5 hours, so the label must have time
Labeling a sample. The bacteria sample must be analyzed within 5 hours, so the label must have time
Labeling a sample. The bacteria sample must be analyzed within 5 hours, so the label must have time
Labeling a sample. The bacteria sample must be analyzed within 5 hours, so the label must have time
recording samples on the datasheet.
Labeling a sample. The bacteria sample must be analyzed within 5 hours, so the label must have time
recording samples on the datasheet.
measuring pH.
Labeling a sample. The bacteria sample must be analyzed within 5 hours, so the label must have time
recording samples on the datasheet.
Macroinvertebrate Monitoring
Getting set up
Searching and Separating
Getting set up
The Collecting
Searching and Separating
Getting set up
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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.
mayflies stoneflies and caddisflies larvae indicate a healthy stream,
We also find crayfish, and larval forms of dragonflies, damselfies, beetles, true flies and others
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.