Water Monitoring

Posted On October 31, 2021

This summer, I tried something a little different. My mother informed me of an opportunity to contribute to a water monitoring project called Georgia Adopt-A-Stream. As a trained volunteer, I could start collecting water data for the Satilla River at my beloved boat ramp, Jamestown Landing. I had to complete an online test after an in-person training session to learn how to conduct different tests. Now that I’ve been doing this for about six months, I am confident in my ability to tell you all about it.

At Jamestown Landing, I measure multiple things: water conductivity, dissolved oxygen level, temperature of the water and air, and pH level (if I was near the coast, I would also measure salinity, but the water is very fresh this far upstream). I also take note of certain conditions which could impact the data such as the weather or water level. Below are the steps I take when measuring each of these.

1. Temperature

When I first arrive in the morning, I immediately take out the thermometer. I set it to the side, so it can warm up to the air around it before I take the measurement. At the end, I come back to the thermometer and check for the air temperature. This is science, so the measurements are taken in metric units (for temperature, that’s Celsius). So far, I most often get an average of 25 to 30 degrees Celsius for air temperature. The conductivity meter can measure temperature, so when I take that measurement, I get the water temperature, too. The water so far has been cooler than the air ranging from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius.

2. Conductivity

Conductivity is the measure of how fast an electric current would pass through the water. I measure conductivity with a meter. I first place it in a standard conductivity solution to make sure the meter is not broken and will measure the conductivity correctly. Then I go up to the water to get a little cup full and record the measurement. An average conductivity for Jamestown Landing is 70.

3. pH

The pH indicates whether something is acidic or basic. Jamestown Landing – and the Satilla River in general – is slightly acidic. The dark tea-colored color water means it has tannins from decaying plants, and that causes the water to be acidic. To measure pH, I collect two test tubes of water. I add several drops of a chemical and then hold it up to the sunlight to match the color to a pH color chart. The two samples must match in number or I need to take a new sample. When I measure for pH, I often get 5 or 5.5.

4. Dissolved Oxygen

The final step is dissolved oxygen . This is my least favorite, because it has to be meticulously done. In order for the measurement to be accurate, the sample must be sealed tight without air bubbles. After that, I have to add various other chemicals in a specific order. The very last step involves filling a syringe carefully with the final chemical and adding it to the sample bottle drop by drop. I can’t add too much or too little, or the reading will be wrong. Sometimes, I have to do this process all over because the values from the two samples do not match.

That’s a day in the life of a Georgia Adopt-a-Stream volunteer!

After reading all of this you’re probably asking, “Well, this is cool, but what’s the purpose of collecting all of these data?” There are many uses for the data. Some could use it for a science project. Others could use it to see if local pollutants are getting into the river or if there is something “off” that needs to be investigated. Others may just be interested in what is happening in their local river. It’s a source of data that can be used in all sorts of ways and anyone can look at them (for data online, go here).

I really enjoy being a part of this volunteer effort. It’s getting all sorts of data, and it’s also giving me experience in case I ever want to do anything like this in the future. I highly recommend giving it a shot if you are interested in chemistry or environmental health. Here’s a link for more information and how to get started.