Be a Water Quality Monitor!

What is the health of our streams? How can we improve our water quality?
Citizens collect and send stream data to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) through the local Save Our Streams program. Join Certified Monitors and Veronica Tangiri, our Water Quality Monitoring/Adopt-A-Stream Coordinator, to learn about the health of our streams and how you can impact the health of our waterways

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Benthic Monitoring

Benthic monitoring is the determination of stream pollution by collecting and identifying macroinvertebrates in a stream of your choosing. specific organisms in our local streams can be either pollutant tolerant, semi-tolerant, or sensitive. this indicator in addition to the quantity of the macroinvertebrates.

Answers to common questions are:

• How often can a site be monitored?
  Not more than 4 times in a year (quarterly).

• What does it take to become certified?

  1. Be able to identify the critters.​
  2. Be able to properly demonstrate the field protocol in data collection.

  ​Both are easy and open book!

• Must I be a certified stream monitor?
  No, you can help the existing monitoring teams, too! But DEQ only accepts data that comes from certified stream monitors.

• What is recommended before taking the certification test?
  Take part in at least 2-3 stream monitoring events before sitting for the certification test.

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Chemical Monitoring

Chemical monitoring is the measurement of the stream's health with a specialized tool, the xylem YSI. This measures parameters such as pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, temperature, and depth.

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Answers to common questions are:

• How often will i be measuring my streams
  streams will need to be measured once a month

• Must I be a certified stream monitor?
  No, you can have a quick training at the Prince William soil and water office and be sent off to monitor. 

• Can I be monitor in a group?
  Absolutely! you can make your own group, or we can assist in helping you meet other monitors in your area.  it can help when you can't return the probe or if you might miss a month.

For more information, contact Veronica Tangiri by phone at (571) 379-7514 or by e-mail at waterquality@pwswcd.org.