Plans Underway for 7th Annual Snapshot Water Monitoring Day

Registration for the 2023 Snapshot Water Monitoring Day is open! The event will take place September 21, 2023, from 2 to 6 p.m. at sites across our watershed.

Taking action for healthy lakes means understanding what is going on under the surface. Snapshot Water Monitoring Day was designed to engage the community in testing water quality at almost 100 sites. Citizen scientists come together for a single day each September to collect, test and analyze water samples from across our watershed.

These volunteers give their time to measure important indicators of our water’s overall health such as dissolved oxygen levels, pH, temperature, E. coli and more.

Understanding water quality at this level helps groups like The Watershed Foundation work more effectively.

Caitlin Yoder, watershed coordinator for TWF, explains, “Everything is connected within a watershed. By testing water quality at a variety of locations we can get a good idea of what is entering our lakes and where we need to focus our efforts.”

The data that is collected will be compiled and compared to previous years’ testing results to identify any trends or concerns.

TWF provides training, directions, and all testing materials. No experience is required. Monitoring sites vary from wetlands to large streams to small ditches through culverts on county roads. Sites have been assessed for their safety and difficulty to access, and we have a wide range for every ability!

Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/twfswmd or email caitlin@watershedfoundation.org.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Barbee Lakes Property Owners Association, Lakeland Pier and Lift, Smoker Craft, Prowake, Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners, Kosciusko County Community Foundation and Lake City Bank.