How do we know what the quality of water is?
The Lamprey River Watershed Association has a dedicated team of volunteers who perform routine water quality sampling in the summer. These volunteers are trained by the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES ) to perform scientifically valid testing protocols. They test for:
- dissolved oxygen (necessary for fish and other aquatic animals to “breathe”)
- pH (a measure of acidity)
- E. coli bacteria (associated with mammal fecal material)
- conductivity (a measure of dissolved salts)
- turbidity (how clear or how cloudy the water is)
- temperature (an important factor for determining maximum possible dissolved oxygen and important to many fish species, for example, warm water can indicate runoff from parking lots and roads)
- chlorophyll a (how much tiny, planktonic algae is present)
- total phosphorus (a main ingredient in fertilizer that causes fresh water algae to over produce)
- total Kjeldahl nitrogen (how much biologically usable nitrogen, or fertilizer, is available to algae)
- chloride (how much road salt is reaching the river)
NHDES also maintains a limited water quality monitoring program at sampling sites along the river and its tributaries. Samples are taken once every three years during the summer, providing a snapshot in time of the river's water quality. The state does not currently conduct continuous water quality monitoring.Additional studies are undertaken periodically. Examples include studies of particular sites or special projects, such as data for the State of the Estuaries Report or when a non-point source of pollution is being located. If you would like to find out more about local water quality testing and volunteering opportunities, visit the Lamprey River Watershed Association's website, or contact Dawn Genes: dawn.genes@lrwa-nh.org, 603-659-9363. The LRWA trains and organizes volunteers to run water quality tests on the Lamprey - no experience necessary!
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