Citizen Science

Enhanced datasets Reliable and engaged Baseline and long-term Local and immediate Leads to Action

Photo by Lew Stamp LewStampPhotography.com

•Water Temperature •Secchi Disk Transparency •Water Color •Qualitative Assessments

Training Citizen Scientists since 1989……

Improved reporting Since 2008 153 Level 1 QDCs 4 Level 2 QDCs 1 Level 3 QDC

On-line data entry 30 active volunteers 16 QDCs 8 with 10+ years

QA/QC Protocols Carl Moore,

CLAM Data Coordinator

Reliable and Long-Term

earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WaterQuality/water_quality2.php

Mesotrophic SD > 78”

Eutrophic 20” - 78”

Hypereutrophic SD < 20

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002

YEAR

HarvestingDredging

Bars = annual median

Dots = monthly mean

Grass Carp

Sec

chi D

isk

Dep

th (

m)

No

Sec

chi d

ata

No

Sec

chi d

ata

Level 2 data › Transparency › Water temperature › Water color › Quality and lake use Level 3 data

› Temp. / DO profiles › Total nutrients › Total suspended solids › Chlorophyll a

Lake Keepers

Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) › Composite samples from shoreline › Collected by Lake Keepers › Evaluation of citizen protocol

BSA Environmental Services, Inc. › Phytoplankton identification › Cyanobacteria counts › Microcystin measurements

www.eyesonthewater.org/olms

30 active lakes › 38 in 2000 › 20 in 2010

SD: 7.92” – 86.38”

2 mesotrophic (> 78”) 13 eutrophic (20”- 78”) 5 hypereutrophic (<20”)

Secchi Depth Water Color

Range: 2 – 7 (greens) › Crystal Lake at 1.7 › Roaming Rock at 8.2

‘Greener’ with >SD Algal turbidity

Secchi Depth Water Color

Dec

reas

ing

C

lari

ty

Incr

easi

ng

C

lari

ty

Chlorophyll a

Total Phosphorus

Total Nitrogen

Total Suspended Solids

BSA Environmental Services, Inc.

BSA Environmental Services, Inc.

www.bsaenv.com

BSA Environmental Services, Inc.

4,000 – 10,000 cells/mL = Minor Bloom 10,000 – 100,000 cells/mL = Moderate Bloom >100,000 cells/mL = Severe Bloom

ohioalgaeinfo.com

Algae Bloom Advisory = Identified Public Health Advisory = 6 ppb No Contact Advisory = 20 ppb

ohioalgaeinfo.com

MWCD reservoirs › n = 9 (no Beach City) › 23–68% forested

Sampled: › OLMS: Jun–Sep, bi-weekly › DOW: 1 summer Intensive

Compare samples › Pleasant Hill › 2010–11 › DOW: 12, OLMS: 12 samples

Compare distributions › Temp/DO profile data

Clendening

Wills Creek

Seneca

Tappan

Atwood

Charles Mill

Piedmont

Leesville Pleasant Hill

Contrast DOW & OLMS data

Similar values

Similar trends

Divergent values

No divergent trends

Pleasant Hill

DO < 3 mg/L

30+ d

> 5 mo

Similar trends

Divergent profiles

Missing data

Eutrophic or hypereutrophic Algal driven turbidity HABs present as severe blooms Toxin health risk low (microcystin)

› Level of Algae Bloom Advisory Trends indicated by citizen data

Charles Mill and Wills Creek? Another HAB monitoring season Test for Cylindrospermopsin toxin

Volunteer cultivation, transparency data, on-line database

Reservoir

management, community awareness

Fisheries management,

program evaluation

Algae characterization

Staff, and volunteers

Grant funds

Monitoring equipment, water analysis, and staff

In-kind,

and staff

www.eyesonthewater.com/olms www.olms.org