Monitoring and Data
Monitoring the Health of our Waterways
Scientific data enhances our understanding of our rivers. To that end, Arundel Rivers conducts seasonal water quality monitoring programs to collect tidal water quality data at stations distributed across the South, West, and Rhode and monitor bacteria levels at community sites.
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Our waterways are designated as impaired by the EPA. They suffer from excess nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, and other pollutants. Arundel Rivers is dedicated to implementing restoration to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff; to educate the general public and the next generation of environmental stewards on best practices; and to enforce and advocate for the best environmental laws and regulations.
Tidal Monitoring
Our water quality data is collected from over 30 sites on the South, West, and Rhode rivers at the direction of the Riverkeeper.
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Bacteria Monitoring
We train volunteers to collect water samples from local waterways during the summer months to test for bacteria. Results are disseminated to ensure that communities receive timely information on water quality in their water recreation areas. To learn more go to the "Bacteria Monitoring" page on our website.
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Want To Help?
Our programs depend on the efforts of volunteers like YOU! If you are interested in helping, please contact us.
Tidal Monitoring
Arundel Rivers follows the Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment Coalition (MTAC) protocol for tidal monitoring. We sample over 30 sites twice a month from April to October on the South, West, and Rhode rivers. The parameters we measure include:
Dissolved oxygen (DO)
pH
Clarity
Salinity
Conductivity
Temperature
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Chlorophyll a/algae
Our monitoring team produces an annual State of Our Rivers Report Card each spring to review the previous year’s data and trends. This data is a valuable tool in identifying pollution hot spots in need of restoration.