Citizen scientists will be traveling throughout Brown County on Friday, April 2 with bottles, waders and pH strips. Their job will be to collect water samples from streams that flow into North Fork Salt Creek and Middle Fork Salt Creek, two of the main tributaries to Lake Monroe.
Volunteers will work in teams of two to collect water samples from streams like Greasy Creek, Sweetwater Creek, East Fork Salt Creek and Clay Lick Creek. Samples will be analyzed for E. coli, sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus.
“We had a great time collecting samples last fall and are very curious to see how the spring samples compare,” said Watershed Coordinator Maggie Sullivan. “In September, many of the streams were dry, but we expect plenty of water this time of year. We are grateful to Brown County Inn, Story Inn and Gatesville Country Store for hosting our Brown County volunteers.”
Other volunteers will gather in Freetown and Bloomington and samples will be collected from 125 sites in total.
Friends of Lake Monroe, a nonprofit based in Bloomington, is partnering with the IU Limnology Lab to organize the events. They will use the sampling results and other data to develop a watershed management plan for the lake that will be released in early 2022. Watershed management plans identify water quality problems, propose solutions, and create a strategy for putting those plans into action.
“We are almost done with data collection and look forward to working on strategies for improvement,” Sullivan said. “Anyone with suggestions or questions is encouraged to contact me at 812-558-0217.”
Friends of Lake Monroe is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that was formed to protect and enhance Lake Monroe and its watershed through science, advocacy, and public involvement: working collaboratively with citizens, government, and business to improve and support lake water quality.
More information about the sampling project is available at https://friendsoflakemonroe.org.
