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Summer 2017 Newsletter
We welcome all of you to Utah Water Watch's 7th summer! We're happy to announce so far this year we've added 50 new volunteers monitoring 40 new sites! We had a great time sharing stories and food with many of you at the volunteer BBQ's, a new Utah Water Watch tradition. Read on for updates on Utah Water Week (our most successful yet), an exciting staff shakeup and, as always, new monitoring opportunities. 

Annual Volunteer Gatherings

             

              Salt Lake June Gathering                                                  St. George May Gathering

Utah Water Week Results

A big thank you to each of you who monitored during Utah Water Week. Thirty-nine volunteers monitored 51 sites, making this our best Water Week yet!  We have compiled your data into a series of maps that show water conditions around the state, found here.
 
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Spring Runoff


Image: High flows on Millcreek, Salt Lake County, in May
 
Several volunteers noted higher turbidity, as well as other changes at their sites such as appearance of side channels, deeper pools, and changes in river habitat from riffles to runs.  These changes are a natural result of high flows during spring as the snow in our mountains begins to melt.  These flows can erode banks and also sweep up sediment from river bottoms.  This material is deposited farther downstream when the flows subside.   River channels and flood plains are constantly changing shape as a result of this process of picking up, moving and depositing sediment.   

The sediment carried by the river often harbors nutrients, metals and bacteria, making spring runoff an interesting time to monitor water quality. Learn more about turbidity here.

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Photo Point Monitoring

Image: example of photo point monitoring showing streambank restoration
 
Photo points are a great way to document changes to your site and an important part of monitoring (3x a year in spring, summer and fall). We already have a number of volunteers sending us their photos or entering them into the Google database.  Here are simplified instructions for taking and uploading photos.  Keep an eye out for your Google Drive folder as we get everyone set up.  Photos are available for everyone to view here, categorized by watershed and site.
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Image: Teacher Workshop on the Virgin River

Upcoming UWW Events:
Use this link to see our full calendar

Tier 1 Trainings:
July 19th - Roosevelt, USU Campus (9am - 12pm)

Tier 2 Trainings:  
July 15th - Provo (9am - 3pm)
July 20th - Roosevelt, USU Campus (9am - 3pm)
August 23rd - Ogden (Location and date TBD)

HAB Trainings:
Let us know if you are interested, otherwise we will be in touch soon when training are scheduled.

Email waterquality@usu.edu or ca
ll 435-797-2580 for more info.
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Upcoming Educator Workshops: RSVP Here
Stream Side Science uses watershed concepts and hands-on stream monitoring techniques to engage students in learning about water quality issues and protection of their local streams.  More Info.
June 27th, Lehi (9-4pm)
July 19th, Roosevelt (9-4pm)
August 1st, Salt Lake City (9-4pm)

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Staff Updates

Image: Eli at a volunteer training in Kaysville, April 2016
We are sad to say that Program Coordinator and Americorps Volunteer Eli Robinson will be moving on at the end of the month. Aside from his goofy sense of humor, he has brought us the harmful algal bloom program and the volunteer BBQ! We will miss having him on our team and wish him the best in his future adventures. 

Cade Andrus will replace Eli Robinson as the Water Quality Program Coordinator. He is eager to work with volunteers and other collaborators around the state. Cade is a Cache Valley native and a recent graduate from Utah State's Quinney College of Natural Resources. He is particularly interested environmental justice and sustainability. He has already brought a sense of energy and humor to our office. We wish Cade a warm welcome!

We are also excited to welcome student workers Hannah Johnson, Jose Pacheco and Cole Patton to our team. Contacts.
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Monitoring Opportunities
Image: Margie Borecki helps with Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP) on Chalk Creek.
 
We are hard at work creating opportunities for our new and existing Tier 2 volunteers.

We are particularly excited to work with the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.  They are monitoring 4 new sites on Blacks Fork of the Uintas for standard field parameters, water chemistry, flow and E. coli.  In addition, the Forest Service is setting up beaver dam analogs around the state (man-made beaver dams) that will require monitoring.  

The new Provo Watershed Coordinator, Dax Reid, will be attending the upcoming training in Provo on July 15th.  He will be discussing his monitoring plans and issues he will be working on. 

Lucy Parham and Bart Parwoukee will be present for the July 20th Roosevelt training to share regional information in the Uinta area and find volunteers to help in their areas.  

For more info on Tier 2 opportunities, go here.  

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Image: Harmful algal bloom - paint-like swirl, floating on surface
Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring
We encourage our lakes volunteers to keep an eye out for green waters and spilled-paint like scums this summer. As waters warm the risk of harmful algal blooms increases. Want to learn more about (and get involved with monitoring for) these potentially toxic algae? Check out our website.  Use our Field ID guide to identify harmful algal blooms from green algal blooms.  If unsure, send us photos or collect a sample to bring to one of the listed microscope locations
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Congratulations Monthly and Water Week Winners!
Montly winners are randomly chosen from the volunteers who submit data. 
April – Dan Gillenwater  

(During April  there were 39 volunteers monitoring 46 sites)
May – Thomas Beesley
(During May  there were 60 volunteers monitoring 96 sites)
Utah Water Week – Bermarie Barreto (During Water Week  there were 39 volunteers monitoring 51 sites)

Learn more about our volunteers here.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Copyright © 2017 Utah Water Watch, All rights reserved.

Utah State University - Water Quality Extension
Phone: (435)797-2580
Office: Janet Quinney Lawson - Room 150
Mailing address: 5210 Old Main Hill Logan, UT 84322-5210
waterquality@usu.edu

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Utah State University Water Quality Extension · 5210 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT · Logan, UT 84322 · USA

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