Water Quality Monitoring
Why Monitoring Matters
Streams and rivers offer an above ground glimpse at the health and hydrology of a watershed, and function as a vital resource for human activity, as well as habitat for a host of non-human animals and plants. In the U.S. alone, there are over 3.5 million miles of streams and rivers flowing through many different landscapes. Despite this widespread reliance on waterways, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found that over half of streams and rivers in the U.S. are in poor biological condition. If a stream or river is the subject of your stewardship project, it will benefit from incorporating monitoring. Monitoring an area over time may support objectives in direct resource stewardship or add value in communication efforts. Often times, it is a tool used by community partners to understand if a restoration or stewardship effort is successful.
How might monitoring fit in with your project design or be an added value for students' learning or stewardship?