Water Chemistry Monitoring
Getting Started
Monitoring Opportunities
WVP works with partnering watershed groups to provide chemistry monitoring opportunities to volunteers. Chemistry monitoring data collected by volunteers is used by the watershed groups for project monitoring and planning, program funding, and public education. Chemistry monitors use equipment to test several parameters. This may be done at different intervals depending on the project and the watershed partner they work with, but is commonly done on a monthly basis at an assigned site.
To begin independent chemistry monitoring with one of our watershed partners, see current projects below and sign up for an upcoming training on the WVP events page or contact us at WVPinfo@clevelandmetroparks.com to get started with a chemistry monitoring project.
Reporting Hours
Monthly hours are due by the last Monday of every month. All volunteers who adopt a water chemistry independent project should submit hours into Volgistics under '(IP:M) Water Chemistry ' assignment after each monitoring session.
What do we monitor?
Temperature
Atmospheric Pressure
Phosphates
Nitrate
pH
Conductivity
Salinity/Salt
Turbidity
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
Current Projects
Salt Watch
Program Managed by Izaak Walton League of America
Cleveland Metroparks Salt Watch Data Program
Data recorded and visualized on a nationwide map here.
Tinker's Creek Water Chemistry Monitoring
Program Managed by Tinker's Creek Watershed Partners
Total number of sites: 16
Data recorded and visualized in water quality monitoring reports here
Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District Stream Monitoring Program
The Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District hosts Watershed Coordinators for the Euclid Creek, Rocky River and Cahoon Creek-Frontal Lake Erie Watersheds. Volunteers can work with Cuyahoga SWCD to perform chemistry monitoring in these three watersheds.
Data is mapped and available online.
Specific Watershed Program details below:
Euclid Creek Water Chemistry Monitoring
Total number of sites: 4
Rocky River Water Chemistry Monitoring
Total number of sites: 12
Cahoon-Creek Frontal Lake Erie Water Chemistry Monitoring
Total number of sites: 1
For Current Monitors
Tinkers Creek Sign Up Genius:
Euclid Creek Sign Up Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094fa4ae2da4f58-euclid#/
Rocky River and Cahoon Porter SignUp Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090e48aea82ea1f49-rocky#/
Other monitoring resources are currently being consolidated into a monitoring packet that will be uploaded here soon.
Volunteer Materials & Resources
Euclid Creek
2020 Monitoring Program Review
Rocky River
Rocky River Monitoring Instructions
Chemistry 101
Phosphate Monitoring
Past Projects
Lake Erie Volunteer Science Network (LEVSN) Monitoring
The Lake Erie Volunteer Science Network is a regional community of practice that empowers community members to collect, share, and engage with water quality data for the conservation and enrichment of our Great Lake and all who call it home. LEVSN developed a participant guide known as the LEBAF Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that outlines procedures for collecting, analyzing, and communicating volunteer monitoring data for the Lake-Erie basin. Volunteers use standardized monitoring procedures to measure chemical parameters: Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Conductivity, Temperature, and pH.
Standard thresholds for each of these parameters were developed based on recognized professional standards and technical reports. Monitoring using the LEBAF SOP began in spring 2022. Data is now available to the public. Northeast Ohio Partners include Tinkers Creek Watershed Partners, Summit SWCD, Erie Conservation District
2022 Lake Erie Watershed Health Report: A Summary of the Program and Findings of the Lake Erie Baseline Assessment Framework
Published by the Cleveland Water Alliance and supported by the Lake Erie Volunteer Science Network. This end of season report is a full review of various watersheds that make up the Lake Erie watershed. Click here to read.
