REP 2020 Fall Monitoring
With many schools still operating virtually or in a hybrid environment, fall monitoring was a bit smaller than usual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
**This page will continue to be updated as results come in**
The Education Manager was able to collect some chemical data from seven sites, and the following schools were able to safety monitor with small groups of students:
Huron Valley Lutheran High School, Westland
Steppingstone School, Plymouth
Crestwood High School, Dearborn Heights
Map of locations with video & photos:
Click here to view the map
[best viewed on a computer or tablet]
Be a Rouge River detective! Use the following instructions and results to choose a site (#s 1-7) and determine the overall water quality score:
Chemical Test Instructions
Raw Data for Fall 2020
Think you’ve got it? Email the Education Manager with your guess at ecassady (at) therouge (dot) org.
Results will be posted here soon:
Click here to view the spreadsheet
[best viewed on a computer or tablet]
Notes from the Manager: At each sampling site, I got the water temperature, collected a water sample for BOD by collecting the sample in a dissolved oxygen bottle and wrapping it in aluminum foil, collected and “fixed” a dissolved oxygen sample, got water samples for fecal coliform that were immediately placed in a cooler on ice, and ran the pH test. I also collected a plastic water bottle sample of river water to take back to the office to run the remaining tests. I was only able to collect samples from the shore using a plastic water sampling rod. No benthic or physical data were able to be collected.
Sampling conditions were ideal: normal/low water levels, beautiful sunny weather, and cooler temperatures.
I could not get the change in temperature readings due to time and logistical constraints.
Since nitrate values in the spring were so low at some sites in the spring, I purchased a low-range nitrate test. Other nitrate values were so high that I need to re-run a couple of the tests to be sure.
Shipping delays postponed the plating of the fecal coliform tests, I am still waiting on results.
Instructional videos for each test procedure:
Dissolved Oxygen/BOD
pH
Fecal Coliform
Total Phosphate
Nitrate
Temperature – Armored thermometer
Total Solids – Drying oven / sensitive analytical balance
Turbidity – Vernier turbidity probe