The Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition, in cooperation with Stream Restoration Inc., is excited to announce that funding has been received for the purchase of water quality sondes for the Slippery Rock Creek Watershed in Butler County through a Colcom Foundation grant.

The data resulting from the use of the sondes will provide valuable and much needed water quality information to identify future improvements or degradation.

SRI has a demonstrated track record of addressing the legacy of abandoned mine drainage problems in the Commonwealth and working with industry to prevent future problems.  The same partnership approach, we believe, will help us address any potential issues with the emerging natural gas industry.

As of a short time ago, 10 wells had been drilling in the Marcellus or Utica Formations within the 408-square mile watershed.

The use of conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) sondes is a cost effective and efficient method to collect water quality data on a continual basis.  The Colcom grant will also the SRWC to place up to 20 CTD sondes throughout the watershed to cover the mainstem and all major tributaries.

The conductivity measurement can be useful in depicting the general quality of the stream.  In addition, to the CTD sondes, three multi-parameter sondes will be used as mobile units to be placed for extended periods in stream segments of concern and within passive treatment systems.

These multi-parameter sondes, which measure pH, oxidation reduction potential and dissolved oxygen, are more expensive to operate and require higher maintenance than the CTD sondes. 

This combination of sondes balances the usefulness of the additional parameters with the higher costs of operating and maintaining the devices.

The data will be downloaded by volunteers and students on a monthly basis in a monitoring program to be modeled after the successful Adopt-A-Passive-Treatment System program coordinated by Cliff Denholm (Stream Restoration Inc.) and Wil Taylor (Center Manager, Jennings Environmental Education Center, DCNR).

We are also excited to involve three local colleges/universities in this sonde use and monitoring initiative: Grove City College- Dr. Fred Brenner, Biology Department; Slippery Rock University- Dr. Patrick Burkhart, Geology Department; and Westminster College- Dr. Helen Boylan, Chemistry Department, have agreed to share their expertise in this project, while also providing their students an interesting and worthwhile hands-on learning experience.

The SRWC and SRI wish to express their thanks to the Colcom Foundation for making this new monitoring approach possible!  To learn more about the Colcom Foundation and their commitment to supporting environmental sustainability, visit their website.

If anyone is interested in volunteering for this project, please send email to: SRI@StreamRestorationInc.org.

(Reprinted from the December issue of The Catalyst published by the Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition.)

1/14/2013