Ross Evelsizer of Northeast Iowa RC&D measures water temperature & pH at Silver Creek.
It’s spring in Northeast Iowa–time again to begin collecting samples for water quality analysis. Since 2004, volunteers have been going out once a month from April to November to collect samples at 30 locations along the Upper Iowa River and its tributaries.
Sample collectors measure water temperature, pH, and transparency in the field. The samples are then sent to Coe College where they are tested for concentrations of e. coli, nitrogen, chloride, and phosphorus. The data is made available on the Upper Iowa River website, and can be used by landowners, communities and resource professionals to better understand problems in the watershed and to identify and implement effective solutions.
To learn more about water quality sampling in the Upper Iowa River watershed, check out the maps and data in the Upper Iowa Water Quality Database.