Since April, eleven new volunteers have signed on to monitor water quality with the Conservancy, and we are very happy to be working with you. If you haven't been able to do the training yet or get out with a well-established team please be patient--we are working on it!
Not only do we have eleven new Conservancy volunteers, but Copeland Forest Friends have set up seven monitoring sites AND the teachers at Patrick Fogarty Secondary School are integrating a water monitoring program at Grant's Wetland for their chemistry students.
We look forward to working with all of you in the months and years to come. For information on sites currently available or in development,
click here
Save The Date:
Next Water Team Training will be Thursday September 1 from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm at Grant's Woods
Please RSVP to Meagan Coughlin [email protected] or call the office.
New Test: Water Depth
This summer's drought has inspired a new testing "parameter": water depth. Water levels are getting so low at some monitoring sites it's not even possible to collect samples. What we can do, however, is measure the depth.
Regular water depth readings will give us good information in the years to come on the impacts of climate change in our region. Climate change scientists are projecting that we will experience increasing levels of precipitation in the fall/winter/spring, and decreasing precipitation in the summer.
If your site only has a trickle of water at the moment, we're still interested in having a depth measurement. Meagan explains in this video how to take your depth measurement. Make sure you pick up a metre stick when you come to collect your kit. There's a new spot on your monitoring form to record the measurement.
Having Trouble with the Dissolved Oxygen Test?:
Cow in McGee Creek _photo by Bill and Vicky Sherwood_
A couple of the Dissolved Oxygen kits have been giving us grief because we can't get the precipitate and the reagent to totally dissolve.
We think we've isolated the problem to the Alkaline Potassium, and have ordered more for all of the kits. It will be replaced as soon as it comes in.
Also a reminder that potassium reacts "vigorously and explosively" when it comes in contact with water" so keep it in its waterproof container.
Meagan's In the House
We're very happy to report that Meagan's volunteer internship has turned into a paying job here at the Conservancy. Her primary responsibility is working on this water monitoring project.
You can find Meagan in the office Monday to Friday from 1 pm to 5 pm between now and Labour Day. She will then be doing a three month contract as a Fisheries Technician for the Ontario Commercial Fisheries Association and then hopefully coming back to us! Contact Meagan by email [email protected] or call the office (705) 326-1620.
(FYI Dorthea will be out of the house on a two week holiday from August 1 to 16 inclusive)
P.S. We're getting consistently high nitrate levels at Grant Wetland and our team there (Aiesha, Sheena, & Joelle) is investigating the problem. We've got a water sample at the lab to verify our results, and we'll keep you posted.
