Stream Monitoring Programs

In order to better understand the water quality of local streams, a community may wish to establish a database of water quality monitoring information. This database can be used to create a picture of the critical issues that need to be addressed, as well as a baseline against which to measure the impacts of proposed development within a watershed. Monitoring may include water temperature, clarity, turbidity, presence of wildlife or aquatic species, and taking samples for lab testing for levels of dissolved oxygen, pH, phosphates, nitrogen, hardness, and chlorides. Monitoring can be conducted by area schools, watershed associations, and professionals.