Sampling Water Clarity in Otter Creek, Elgin Iowa
Beginning in May 2011, participants in the Turkey River Watershed Alliance and IOWATER volunteer water quality monitoring program have monitored water quality at 49 sites across the over 1 million acre watershed. On one day of each month, from April through November, these volunteers sample water quality at several locations along the main branch of the Turkey River, and at locations along 35+ tributaries. All samples are collected during a 7-9 hour span, and water samples are sent to the State Hygienic Lab for analysis. The lab analyzes the water for concentrations of Ammonia Nitrogen as N, E. Coli Bacteria, Nitrate + Nitrite Nitrogen as N, and Total Phosphate as P, while field measurements include water temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Transparency, and Chloride.
Concerned citizens and landowners can use this data to learn about the water flowing through their land or backyard, and resource professionals use this data to target the most polluted sub-watersheds, to make better-informed decisions, and to effectively target financial and technical assistance for private lands conservation.
Links
- Water Quality Maps & GIS Analysis for the Turkey River Watershed
- Special Water Quality Report: Results from Water Quality Monitoring Conducted during Project AWARE 2011 on the Little Turkey, Turkey, and Volga Rivers (July 9-16, 2011) (PDF)