URI Watershed Watch program seeks citizen scientists to monitor water quality in North Kingstown

Last summer the Obama Administration encouraged government science agencies to promote citizen science projects to help collect data. This signaled the government’s recognition of the value of crowd-sourcing for scientific research. But it isn’t a new idea.

The University of Rhode Island’s Watershed Watch program, now in its 29th year, is one of the longest running citizen science projects in Rhode Island. It’s been working with volunteers to collect data on water quality in the state’s lakes, ponds, streams and bays since 1988. The data the volunteers collect is used by watershed conservation organizations, policy makers, regulators and state and local officials to make decisions that improve and protect the health of local waters.

Now the program is seeking new volunteers to help monitor water quality in North Kingstown from May through October. About 350 Watershed Watch volunteers monitor the water quality in 220 lakes, ponds, streams, bays and other water bodies in Rhode Island. They play a critical role in helping scientists understand the effect that weather and land use have on water quality in the state. Analysis of the 28 years of data collected by program volunteers has identified changes in water temperature, nutrients, bacteria, algae and other factors that affect the health of aquatic ecosystems.

Classroom training for new Watershed Watch volunteers will take place at URI’s Kingston campus on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 9 a.m. It will be repeated on Wednesday, April 6 at 6 p.m. Field training will be conducted later in April. Volunteers come from all walks of life and are of all ages, occupations, educational backgrounds and interests. Each volunteer is matched to a specific location, usually one that they already have a particular interest in that they will be in charge of monitoring.

Every two weeks on a day of their choice, volunteers monitor for water clarity, temperature, algae concentrations and dissolved oxygen. On several designated dates, volunteers collect water samples that are brought to URI to be analyzed for nutrients, acidity and bacteria.  Ponds, lakes and saltwater sites are monitored. Access to a boat, canoe or kayak is necessary at some sites, but many sites don’t require a boat.

Watershed Watch is sponsored by URI Cooperative Extension in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, and about 40 local organizations and communities. North Kingstown is expanding its long-term monitoring this year to include more of Wickford Harbor, and is looking for volunteers.

For more information or to register for the training sessions, contact Elizabeth Herron at 401-874-4552 or at emh@uri.edu. Visit the program’s website at http://web.uri.edu/watershedwatch for detailed information about the program and its list of 2016 monitoring locations.