Citizen's Monitoring Program

Citizen’s Monitoring Program

Once a week, the Center for the Inland Bays aids the University of Delaware’s Citizen Monitoring Program to assess the water quality of our tidal waters. This program specifically targets dissolved oxygen levels, harmful algae blooms, nuisance aquatic vegetation, and bacterial concentrations.

Monitoring sites for the Citizen's Monitoring Program around the bays and Broadkill River.

Each Tuesday morning I have gone to the James Farm Ecological Preserve to take water samples and record physical water characteristics. I’ve learned that it’s important to take these measurements in the morning because the dissolved oxygen values are at the lowest in their daily cycle. Using an electronic instrument called a YSI, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, and pH can be recorded. It is also important to the program to report macro-algae (visible algae as opposed to invisible to the naked eye microalgae). Finally, two water samples are placed in containers and must be kept cool so that true bacterial and algal concentrations are recorded when analyzed in the lab. Overall, it’s pretty simple. However, with the input of many volunteers and study sites around the bays, scientists can assess the safety and quality of our bays.

The YSI model we have at the Center for the Inland Bays. Used to calculate dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity.

This water quality monitoring program has helped Delaware beaches receive a 5 star national by the National Resources Defense Council. Find out how you can join the effort to protect Delaware's water quality at http://www.citizen-monitoring.udel.edu/