Who can volunteer?
UWW is a free program and is open to volunteers of all ages. Volunteering is a fun way to learn more about water quality and help protect lakes and streams in Utah. Examples of potential volunteers include:
- Interested community members
- Families
- Teachers and students
- Boaters, fisherman, and other outdoor enthusiasts
- Church and/or community groups
- Rural and urban residents
- Retired professionals
How much time does it take?
UWW is a flexible program that requires small monthly time commitment.
- About 30 minutes per site visit - not including travel time.
- Volunteers are asked to monitor once a month during the monitoring season from April to October, given conditions are safe to access their field site.
- Volunteers may monitor more frequently if desired or needed to meet monitoring objectives.
- Utah HAB Squad volunteers are asked to make weekly, or every other week, observations of priority lake and stream sites to collect data on where and when HABs are appearing.
What water quality parameters do volunteers monitor?
UWW trains volunteers about watershed science and how to sample and measure water quality in lakes and streams. Volunteers use standardized methods and equipment to measure both qualitative visual assessments and quantitative measurements.
- Biological - algae, bacteria, aquatic macroinvertebrates, plants
- Chemical - dissolved oxygen, nutrients, pH
- Physical - habitat, temperature, turbidity
What equipment is needed to sample E. coli at one site?
How important is it to distinguish the correct blue color on the dissolved oxygen comparator kit?
Many volunteers ask us why the blue colors on the high end of the dissolved oxygen kit are so difficult to distinguish from one another. Some say it is challenging to choose the blue closest to their sample results. We understand. The dissolved oxygen comparator ampules are intentionally more difficult to differentiate between on the higher end of the scale. If you are having trouble matching your ampule perfectly with the comparator, don't stress. Use your best judgement and know that as long as the concentration is above the state standard the accuracy doesn't matter as much.
If the concentration is above the state standard of 6.5 mg/L for cold waters and 5.5 mg/L for warm waters, then there is enough oxygen for aquatic life. If the concentration is on the high end of the comparator, the color distinction does not matter as much as it does if the dissolved oxygen measurement is low.
How should equipment be decontaminated after monitoring and in between sites when monitoring multiple sites?
Always wash your hands and decontaminate equipment after monitoring. After collecting field samples or recreating in bodies of water known or suspected to have invasive species or harmful algal blooms, all equipment and clothing that came in contact with the water should be cleaned thoroughly. When practical, the least or least likely to be infected/polluted/dirty sites should be sampled prior to any infected/polluted/dirty sites. This will reduce the chance of accidentally introducing contaminants to a new area while sampling.
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources suggests 3 steps for decontaminating equipment:
- Remove any visual debris (e.g., mud, plants, or other debris).
- This is especially important between sites. If you have multiple sites, bring distilled or purified water with you to rinse the equipment between sites.
- Start monitoring with your LEAST contaminated site when possible.
- After monitoring, clean equipment with warm soapy water or a disinfecting solution (e.g., Ethanol, Lysol, bleach, etc.).
- Pay particular attention to crevices such as the tread of boots or waders.
- Drain well to remove excess water.
- Dry out equipment completely.
- Summer: 7 days
- Spring/fall: 18 days
- Winter: 30 days