NORTH WEBSTER — A one-day Snapshot Monitoring event was held Wednesday, Sept. 27, with 26 teams consisting of more than 182 volunteers testing 96 sites in the Tippecanoe River’s 246-square-mile watershed. The event was hosted by The Watershed Foundation.

The sites, spread throughout Kosciusko, Noble and Whitley counties, were tested in one afternoon by citizen scientists. The group monitored temperature, dissolved oxygen and transparency at local sites. The samples were then brought back to the three staging sites at the Crooked Lake Biological Center, North Webster Community Center and Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw. Further tests included nitrate, phosphate, E.coli and pH levels.

Here are some of the results. More detailed explanations and maps of the results are available on TWF’s website.

Temperature and pH: The most consistent monitored readings in the watershed were temperature and pH. Both of these were in the acceptable range. These results indicate no major sources of thermal pollution and the alkalinity/acidity levels are balanced in local area waters.

Transparency: When stormwater runs across the ground, it may collect sediment, which is deposited in lakes and rivers. The sediment can fill them up and cause depletions of oxygen and depth, while adding too many nutrients. Transparency tells how clear or cloudy the water. The transparency readings across the watershed were mostly in the acceptable range, with a few exceptions notably in the area draining into Pike Lake.

Nutrients: The nutrients orthophosphate and nitrate were tested to determine the available productivity of the water. One pound of phosphorus can grow 10,000 pounds of weeds and algae. These chemicals are often found in fertilizers, soil erosion and waste matter. There were varying ranges in the watershed. Of note were the streams leading into the Warsaw-area lakes that showed significant spikes in these nutrients.

E.coli: The most concerning results to many volunteers were the E.coli results. Untreated sewage, poorly functioning septic systems, pet waste, livestock waste, waterfowl and wild animals can all contribute E. coli to surface waters. Large amounts of E.coli were found in small pockets throughout the watershed, which indicates the potential for pathogenic bacteria is much higher in these areas. TWF is continuing to monitor in these areas to try to determine the sources of pollution and work towards solutions.

Dissolved Oxygen: Moving water tends to contain a lot of dissolved oxygen, whereas stagnant water contains less for organisms to use. Bacteria in water can consume oxygen as organic matter decays. Thus, excess organic material in lakes and rivers can cause eutrophic conditions, which is an oxygen-deficient situation that can cause a water body “to die.” There were areas of oxygen depletion in the watershed, which can be attributed to lower water levels, as well as an overabundance of decaying material.

“We test the streams that come into the lakes because the pollution begins in the watershed. We can work with landowners to stop pollution at its source on the land before it reaches our lakes,” explained Lyn Crighton, TWF’s executive director.

The Snapshot Day not only gave TWF valuable data, but also allowed local non-scientists to get into the river and become part of a larger solution. If people are interested in learning more about the tests conducted and want to do river or lake testing on their own, TWF and the Kosciusko County Soil & Water Conservation District will hold a Riverwatch volunteer training workshop in the spring. Contact TWF’s office at (574) 834-3242 to learn more about the free day-long course.

Special appreciation is expressed to the generous event funders: the K21 Health Foundation, Arrowhead RC&D, and KEYS – a program of the Kosciusko Community Foundation. “We would not be able to accomplish this event without our special partners either, including the Clean Waters Partnership, Kosciusko County SWCD, Washington STEM Academy, North Webster Elementary School, Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams, and IPFW Crooked Lake Biological Station,” added Crighton.