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StreamWatch

Since 1992, dedicated volunteers have continually assessed and documented water quality in the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed through our StreamWatch water quality monitoring program. StreamWatch measures the health of our water by testing water chemistry, counting bacteria levels and assessing the biological and physical health of our waterways. StreamWatch data helps the Watershed Association better assess the impacts of pollution and land use on local streams and determine actions necessary to protect and improve water quality. StreamWatch was an integral part of our State of the Watershed Report. Learn more about this important study.

Becoming a StreamWatch volunteer is an easy and fun way to contribute to the health of the watershed. The Watershed Association relies on dedicated volunteers to assess water quality throughout the watershed. Volunteering requires an initial half-day training session and at least a one-year commitment. Take a look at the different StreamWatch teams below to see what our StreamWatchers do and volunteer today! Contact Erin McCollum at (609) 737-3735 x.17. Click here to read the latest issue of The StreamWatcher.

Chemical Action Teams

Dedicated volunteers, trained by our staff, collect chemical data at 38 monitoring sites across the watershed. Volunteers test six basic water quality parameters: water and air temperature, phosphates, nitrates, pH, turbidity and dissolved oxygen. The results of the water sampling are analyzed and reported to all municipalities in the watershed and other interested parties.

Volunteering requires about two hours once a month beginning between 10 a.m. and noon as well as one Quality Assurance/Quality Control session annually. Volunteers are assigned to a site with a partner with whom they share the responsibility for monitoring the water quality over a 12 month period.

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View StreamWatch Water Quality Monitoring Sites in the Millstone River Watershed in a larger map

Biological Action Teams

Biological monitoring involves testing for the presence of organisms called macroinvertebrates within a stream. Water quality ratings are based on the abundance and sensitivities of these organisms to pollutants. If the stream is healthy, a diverse macroinvertebrate population can be found in a relatively small sample of water. A reduction in their numbers may indicate a high level of pollution. We have 14 biological sampling sites in the watershed.

Sampling is done three times a year: in March, July, and October. Each volunteer collects four separate samples of organisms at their site and then returns to the Watershed Association in Hopewell to identify the sample under the supervision of staff.

Bacteria Monitoring

Through our bacterial monitoring program, we test for Escherichia coli (abbreviated as E. coli) levels in the water at 13 sites. E. coli are types of bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts of animals and humans. While E. coli contamination in food can cause serious food poisoning, this bacteria’s existence in water bodies is usually harmless, but their presence indicates that other pathogens of fecal origin – disease causing bacteria, viruses and parasites – may be present. Therefore, swimming or wading in streams with high E. coli levels is considered to be a human health risk.

High E. coli levels can result from leaking septic or sewer systems, polluted runoff that has picked up animal (dog, goose, cow, etc.) waste en route to the stream, waterfowl in the stream, or wading cows. Monitoring is being used to keep an eye on several hot spots and to identify other bacteria problems quickly.

Bacteria samples must be processed within 6 hours of collection, and then put in an incubator for 24 hours before obtaining results. Volunteers must be able to collect a sample on a designated Monday and drop it off at our office in Hopewell within 5 hours after sample collection. Sampling occurs on a quarterly basis. All samples are analyzed in-house using the Coliscan Easygel method.

River Action Teams

River Action Teams record visual observations of our streams to assess any features and characteristics that might be having an impact on water quality. The RATs Program is designed to document the appearance of waterways and stream corridors during every season and also during different flow conditions.

Each volunteer is assigned a two-mile “beat” to monitor. Observations are recorded on a data sheet as well as a map. Taking photographs of interesting areas is encouraged. Beats are monitored in February, May, July and October, including one high-flow and one low-flow period during the year.