Greetings!

I have been working on organizing the data that has come in from our water monitors so far, and I want to give a big THANK YOU for all of the time you have put into water monitoring.

So far this year, water monitors have made 40 monitoring visits, and contributed 165 volunteer hours.

The Couchiching Conservancy is having a volunteer appreciation event on September 23rd (see below for more details). I hope to see you all there!

If you have any questions, or would like to arrange a time to pick up a water test kit you can reach me at aiesha@couchconservancy.ca.


Thanks,

Aiesha
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Volunteer Appreciation Event
We are excited to host you and show you how much we appreciate your efforts toward local conservation! There will be lunch, refreshments, and desserts. Dietary options will be provided.

When: September 23 @ 12 pm
Location: Couchiching Beach Park, Biindigen Pavillion
Benthic Workshop Results
The benthic workshop was a big success! We used D-nets to collect our sample from Mill Creek. The benthic critters were separated from the sample using pipettes, tweezers, and spoons.

We found larvae of mayflies, damselflies, caddisflies, a blackfly, a stonefly as well as roundworm/threadworm, aquatic earthworm, and a snail. 

Read more notes from the field here.
Learn more about benthic organisms here
Photo: Volunteers separate benthic organisms from the water and mud in the sample. This allows for closer inspection of the organisms. The zoomed-in photo shows dragonfly larvae
Water Sources
Different streams have different sources of water, and this will impact water quality and levels.

Groundwater: Water seeps into the earths surface to a certain depth where the ground is saturated with water (the water table). Where the water table meets the surface, we get natural springs. Spring-fed streams tend to be clean and cold, with stable water temperatures and chemistry throughout the year.

Runoff: Rather than seeping into the ground, some rain and snowmelt waters flow over the land and into waterways. The runoff waters pick up sediments and pollutants as they flow over the land and this influences the water chemistry. Runoff streams tend to be warmer and can have water quality issues.



Photo: Allan Tuck tests water chemistry at the torrential waters of Stickleback Creek after a heavy rainfall (photo contributed by Mel Tuck)
Invasives Spotlight - Purple Loosestrife
Purple Loosestrife is an invasive plant species that outcompetes natives plants. If you see purple loosestrife at a Couchiching Conservancy nature reserve, please let us know. A photo and coordinates are always helpful. Avoid disturbing the plant as the seeds spread easily.

Loosestrife beetles are used as a biological control and can reduce loosestrife biomass by 90% in a single season. For small populations, mechanical removal (before the plants go to seed), and chemical treatments are accepted modes of removal.

Learn more about purple loosestrife here
Photo: cover of Purple Loosestrife Watch card
I am Aiesha Aggarwal, the Conservation Analyst at the Couchiching Conservancy. If you have any questions about Landscape, EdApp or the water monitoring program, I would be happy to help you out!

Phone (office): 705-326-1620
You are receiving this email because you are a water monitor with The Couchiching Conservancy. Please let us know if things have changed and you can no longer volunteer, or do not wish to receive these emails. 
The Couchiching Conservancy | couchichingconserv.ca