Community Water Quality monitoring
C0mmunities caring for rivers
Interested in learning how to monitor water quality in our community?
Volunteer today by emailing events@blueriverwatershed.org or sign up through the form below.
Working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife's River Watch Program, Blue River Watershed Group staff and volunteers collect data contributing to a state-wide water quality database.
With this information, coordinated management practices are implemented and specific water quality concerns are addressed.
Together, our community gathers baseline water quality and macroinvertebrate data to contribute to a healthier watershed
We go into the field and analyze samples in the lab. Reach out if you're interested in helping with any part of this important scientific work!
The Blue River watershed has a rich history of historic mining. Some of our tributaries (smaller streams) are highly impacted by acid mine runoff. Monthly monitoring of metal, pH (acidity), and chemical resilience allows us to watch for dangerous spikes in loading, see trends over seasons and time, and identify areas of concern. Though much work is being done to "clean up" old mines and mine runoff, our community still has a long way to go. Water quality monitoring is keeping a pulse on the health of our rivers.
In the fall, annually, a bug collection takes place at each River Watch site. Macroinvertebrate populations are an indication of long-term water quality and ecosystem functionality. Macroinvertebrates feed on algae and detritus and are the food for fish. Their abundance and diversity of population give objective scores to the river, tracking trends over time. Population trends can show disturbance and recovery for large-scale planning and restoration efforts.
Click here to learn more about the River Watch program and where BRWG monitors.
Volunteer!
Become a community Scientist
Help sample our rivers or analyze the data!
River Watch
Time Commitment: Monthly sample and processing events the first Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise noted
Upcoming sampling events:
First Wednesday of each month
Meeting locations:
- Breckenridge Water Treatment Plant
- Dillon CMC
Email events@blueriverwatershed.org to sign up!
To learn more, become involved in Community Science, or report a water quality concern, please contact Reyna Schedler at events@blueriverwatershed.org
Our water quality monitoring program provides critical data on the health of the Blue River and its tributaries. Through partnerships and community science, we monitor:
Temperature, pH, hardness, alkalinity, and dissolved oxygen
Metals and pollution from historic mining
Macroinvertebrates as indicators of stream health and nutrients.
This data informs restoration projects, water quality mitigation efforts, and long-term watershed management.
