History of Water Sampling

Beginning in May 2011, participants in the Turkey River Watershed Alliance and IOWATER volunteer water quality sampling sampled water quality at 49 sites across the 1 million acre Turkey River watershed. On one day of each month, from April through November, volunteers sampled water quality at several locations along the main branch of the Turkey River, and at locations along 35+ tributaries. All samples were collected during a 7-9 hour span, and water samples were sent to the State Hygienic Lab for analysis. The lab analyzed the water for concentrations of Ammonia Nitrogen as N, E. Coli Bacteria, Nitrate + Nitrite Nitrogen as N, and Total Phosphate as P, while field measurements include water temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Transparency, and Chloride.

This data can be used by landowners, citizens, communities, and resource professionals to better understand the problems in the watershed, find cost-effective ways to to solve water-related problems, and make financial and technical assistance available to public and private landowners when needed.