VOLUNTEERS - FIELD NOTES
Field Data App V3 - New Features
(last update 2024/02/08)
New features of the SSI Watershed Groups Version 3 field data collection App.
Our epicollect Field Data Entry APP Has Been Upgraded
Switch to V3 (from Sunday, September 27, 2020)
We have launched the SSI Watershed Groups Version 3 project (“V3") in the Epicollect 5 app. Version 2 (“V2” and “SF” if you were a user) were locked when V3 went live on September 27, 2020. Minor tweaks to our V3 App are provided as automatic updates (when you next open the App).
In a single app SSI Watershed Groups V3 allows field data (locations; feature types; flow and chemistry for water quantity and water quality studies, and in-field setting) collection from our “island-wide” sites (as a walker/hiker, during reconnaissance, or as a repeat site visitor), at “local detail” sites (e.g., the Xwaaqw’um and Weston Creek watersheds), and (chemistry) data entry on wells.
As before the data being collected in SSI Watershed Groups V3 will be available online (after 24 hours) on our SSI FWC webmap (and, via logging into our Epicollect5 cloud databse, via a web browser)... if you have uploaded the data (and images) from your smartphone.
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New Features
If you have used a previous version of the SSI Watershed Groups section of the app, most of the “V3” data entry options will already be familiar to you, although here are few key enhancements.
Regularly visited sites" scroll list for easy entry
A list is now available for our regular FWC field sites and “Other” can be used with new sites (e.g., new creeks, wells, etc.) which may become regular! If you have a new site that you would like to see added to the "regulars list" please let us know.
Well chemistry data entry option
A well chemistry feature has been added to V3 of our App. If you have the chance to enter well chemistry data from our FWC Oaktons at your place, and/or if you can invite folks you know to do the same, we can create a simple, but useful well chemistry database for our island! This well chemistry database will support FWC surface water and (ground)water quantity analysis in various island areas.
Note - the recorded well chemistry data (and approximate location) will appear on our SSIFWC webmap. If your well is sampled regularly the location can be added to our regularly visited sites list.
Staff gauge (water level height) data entry
This feature is used for our FWC “local detail” project areas only, specifically it can only be used where we have a staff gauge (aka waterproof ruler!) installed.
Qualtiative Secchi disk and Secchi tube tudbidity data in lakes (and creeks) can captured in the V3 app
Full stream cross-section (profile) measurements data entry option
Flow data entry for the complete creek profile is now available, for profiles including: wetted width, depth and width, and velocity dataset from full stream cross-section profiling. This profile is collected when measuring flow with a float (AKA duck) measurements (or when using a velocity meter). The Bucket and Timer data flow entry has not changed.
Water quality oriented (coliform, rubbish) and flow (velocity board) app updates
With more water quality work in our WPS, FWC island freshwater stewardship, we have updated the V3 FWC App to capture suspended sediment (secchi disk/tube, cm) turbidity (NTU), coliforms (ppm; total, fecal and e-coli).. These updates support data capture for more collaborative WPS, FWC stewardship projects with FN, TSS (CARL project, Marine Working Group) and Raincoast, during 2023.
While doing some reconnaissance in various watershed areas it has become apparent that we should flag some of the refuse (old, new, commercial etc). The V3 FWC App now has an “O Refuse Site” site flag (2023/12). This location flag allows refuse in all its forms... to be noted (with text to clarify: tires, bagged waste, glass, old(?) dump, sofa, etc…). Hopefully this information can be used in the tracking of potential contaminants in our island watershed systems and/or in watershed cleanup project(s)?!
With the local build of a province, hydrologically approved Stream Velocity Board (V1.0) our V3 FWC App has been updated (2024/01) to capture width-depth profiles and velocity height variations to derive stream velocities.
Our FWC stream velocity board (v1.0) has been field tested (2024/01) under higher flow conditions at the Weston Creek Outfall (Weston Creek watershed) and at various smaller (ephemeral) creeks in the Maxwell Creek watershed. The device is the preferred smaller creek velocity measuring device (used in conjunction with creek profile width-depth data).
Note - App updates are automatic with V3 (0.3) via "form updates" when you use our SSIFWC V3 app.
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