WILDCAT CREEK SITES INCLUDED IN THE WABASH RIVER FALL SAMPLING BLITZ !
Won't you consider volunteering for the Wabash River Sampling Blitz on September 16th? Join us as we sample the water quality of the Wabash River, the Wildcat Creek, and their tributaries!
Since the fall of 2009, volunteers throughout the Wabash River watershed have participated each spring and fall to complete a snapshot of water quality throughout the watershed, and in the spring of this year, it was expanded to include sample sites within the Wildcat Creek watershed.
Volunteers monitor temperature, water cloudiness (turbidity), nutrient levels, and pathogen concentrations. You can volunteer as an individual we’ll assign you a sampling partner, or you can volunteer with a friend, your family, scout troop, or school group. Volunteer to sample your local stream, your favorite canoe spot, or try a new stream within the Wabash River or Wildcat Creek watersheds.
How it works? Each volunteer is assigned to a staging or starting location. Staging locations are assigned as sampling slots and are available on a first volunteer, first assigned basis. When you arrive, you will be assigned a group of sampling sites—sites are assigned based on location, choice and selected access difficulty ranging from easy access (walk right in sites) to where you will need to channel your inner mountain goat (difficult).
Our staging location volunteers will provide all sample collection equipment and instructions, maps, and driving directions. They will not provide you with waders, boots, dry clothes, bug spray, ivy off, food, or a vehicle. So, slip on your waders or knee boots and spend about two hours wading through three to five stream sample sites. At each site, you will need to identify an appropriate access point. After entering the stream, you’ll wade to the center and fill your provided sample bottles. Then, measure stream temperature and water cloudiness with the provided thermometer and turbidity tube. Once complete, photograph the stream and any unique or interesting features and travel to your next site. Once you have sampled all of your streams, return to your staging location to filter your samples for laboratory analysis, measure water quality with provided test strips and download your photos.
Want more information? Visit http://www.wabashriver.net/wabash-sampling-blitz/ to view videos that detail sampling, review previous results and read about past events or call the Tippecanoe SWCD office to learn how you may become involved!!
==================================================================================== |
