What do Waterwatchers monitor?

Monitoring our waterways can involve any of the following.

Physical and chemical parameters

pH - measures how acidic or alkaline water is on a scale of 1-14. Plants and animals are adapted to a particular pH range. Distilled water has a pH of 7 (neutral). The more acidic the water, the lower the pH, and the more alkaline the water, the higher the pH. Bedrock, plants, algae and chemicals can all affect pH levels. To see a pH experiment please click here.

Turbidity (water clarity) - is a measure of how cloudy, dirty or muddy the water is. High turbidity can be caused by soil erosion, algae, waste discharges or stormwater run-off. Turbidity affects how far light can penetrate into the water, and many plants and animals cannot survive in water with high turbidity levels. To see a turbidity experiment please click here.

Flow - refers to the volume of the water that passes through a section of a waterway in a specified unit of time. The water generally comes from surface run-off and from water that has passed through the soil and out into the waterway. Flow can be affected by structures such as dams and weirs, removal of water for irrigation, rainfall, snow melt, entry of groundwater, evaporation and the leakiness of the river bed and banks.

Salinity (Electrical Conductivity) - Salinity refers to how much salt is present in a waterway. When the salinity level in a freshwater ecosystem is higher than the usual range, it can cause stress ore even death to some plants and animals. Erosion, clearance of deep rooted vegetation and irrigation can lead to high salinity levels in our waterways. As salty water conducts electricity more regularly than pure water, salinity can be measured using electrical conductivity. To see an salinity experiment please click here.

Dissolved Oxygen - is a measure of the amount of oxygen present in water. Oxygen is essential for almost all forms of life, and the concentration of dissolved oxygen is an important indicator of the health of the aquatic ecosystem. Continual low levels will harm most aquatic life because there will not be enough for them to use. The air is one source of dissolved oxygen, and aquatic plants are another. Concentrations of dissolved oxygen change with the seasons as well as on a daily basis.

Phosphorus - The phosphorus found in both surface water and groundwater is in a form called phosphate. Phosphate occurs naturally in our waterways and is a nutrient that plants and algae need to grow. High levels of phosphate can cause excessive plant growth eg. algal blooms. Fertilisers, detergents, faeces and decomposing organic matter can cause an increase in phosphate levels. To see a phosphate experiment please click here.

Nitrogen - Nitrogen compounds are found in both surface waters and in groundwater and can be measured by the concentration of nitrate. Nitrate occurs naturally in our waterways and is a nutrient that plants and algae need to grow. High levels of nitrate can cause excessive plant growth eg. algal blooms. Fertilisers, detergents, faeces, decomposing organic matter and the burning of fossil fuels can increase nitrate levels in our waterways. To see a nitrate experiment please click here.

Water temperature - the temperature of a waterbody directly affects many physical, biological and chemical characteristics. Warm waters are more susceptible to eutrophication (a build-up of nutrients that may cause algal blooms), and oxygen is less soluble in warmer water. By contrast, salts are more soluble in warmer water, so temperature may affect salinity levels. Aquatic species have evolved to live in water of specific temperatures. If the water becomes colder or warmer the organisms do not function as effectively, and become more susceptible to toxic wastes, parasites and diseases. Water temperature is affected by air temperature, sunlight/shade, turbidity, vegetation and discharge or warmed water from industry and power plants, or cold water from reservoirs/dams.

Biological parameters

Riparian Habitat Survey - Features such as riparian vegetation (between the land and the waterway), in-stream cover, bank stability and in-stream habitats can influence water quality, as well as provide a variety of habitats for fish, frogs, birds, macro-invertebrates and other creatures. Habitat provision and water quality are directly related to biodiversity - the abundance and variety of flora and fauna at your site. A healthy riparian zone will also decrease erosion, reduce nutrient and sediment runoff, and help control light and temperature in the waterway.

Macro-invertebrates - Macro-invertebrates are water creatures big enough to see with your naked eye but with no backbone. Macro-invertebrates are known as bioindicators, because they can tell us how healthy a waterway is. Some macro-invertebrates are tolerant to pollution and will be able to live in fairly polluted waters, while others are sensitive and will either die or move away. So by measuring the abundance and diversity of macro-invertebrates we can get a fairly accurate indication of water health.

Fish monitoring - Fish have been used for many years to indicate whether waterways are clean or polluted, doing better or getting worse. Knowing just whether fish live in the waters is not enough - we need to know what kinds of fish are there, how many, and their health. Fish are excellent indicators of waterway health because they live in the water all of their life, they differ in their tolerance to amount and types of pollution, are easy to collect with the right equipment, live for several years and are easy to identify in the field.

Other biological monitoring can include - algae, frogs and faecal coliforms. Check with your local waterwatch network to see what type of monitoring they conduct.

~~~~~

Electronic Displays of monitoring techniques

~~~~~

Ensuring accurate data

When undertaking monitoring, it is important to consider who is going to use the data. This will determine what level of quality assurance and quality control measures you will need to take.

Quality Assurance (QA) refers to those measures for maintaining quality in all aspects of monitoring eg. training, keeping written records etc.

Quality Controls (QC) are those activities you do to ensure accuracy and precision of your monitoring eg. calibration/repair and servicing/maintenance logs.

For further information about data accuracy, contact your Regional Coordinator.

~~~~~

<< back
What would I be doing?

top
of page

next >>
Case Studies