Wolf Creek Community Alliance
water quality monitoring
Water quality concerns
Wolf Creek carries a variety of pollutants, including harmful
bacteria, pesticide degradants, and heavy metals.
For more information about pollutants in the creek and strategies the city of Grass Valley
is using to reduce them, view the official
Stormwater Management Plan. For information about how Grass Valley's sewage treatment
plant is failing to meet guidelines on its discharges, see the Water Quality Control
Board's Order No. R5-2003-0089.
Our water quality monitoring program
It is beyond WCCA's current ability to monitor many of the pollutants in the creek,
but monitoring other indicators of water quality (listed below) provides
valuable information on the ecological condition of the creek. With water monitoring
equipment purchased through a grant from the Sierra Nevada Alliance, we are measuring temperature,
dissolved oxygen, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH. About 30
volunteer monitors are
testing at 12 different sites on a monthly basis.
Download the official water monitoring work plan
Listen to Rick Sanger talk about water monitoring (KVMR interview, mp3 format)
Feb 14/16
Mar 13/15
Apr 10/12
May 15/17
Jun 19/21
Jul 17/19
Aug 14/16
Sep 18/20
Oct 16/18
Nov 20/22
Dec 18/20
Annual Monitoring Report
The 2005 annual Report for our Citizen Water-Quality Monitoring Program has been released.
Download the no-graphics version.
For more information about the water quality monitoring program, call BJ Schmitt at 477-7402 (or email: bjanddave(at)foothill.net).
What's involved in being a water monitor volunteer?
We will be doing
the sampling and testing one two-day period each month. As a water monitor,
you'll be in a team responsible for a particular sampling site; because of this shared
responsibility, you aren't necessarily committing yourself to being available on every sampling
date.
Why monitor water quality?
The various parameters we are measuring (pH,
dissolved oxygen, nitrates, etc.) are all indicators of the health
of the creek--its ability to support
aquatic life and be a habitat for wildlife, and its safety for humans. By monitoring water quality
over time we can gauge improvements (or deterioration) in the creek's health. By monitoring at
different locations we can learn more about the possible sources of contamination and pinpoint
problem spots.
Water monitoring also offers an opportunity for hands-on involvement with the creek, and an
opportunity for learning about aquatic ecology, water chemistry, the physical processes of
streams, and the importance of careful technique and record-keeping.
