An annual test of water quality in the Iowa Quad Cities will be held Tuesday. Partners of Scott County Watersheds has been testing rivers, streams, and creeks since 2003.
Partners Coordinator Cassie Druhl says volunteers will conduct tests for the Fall Snapshot at nearly 50 sites.
"We call it a snapshot because its basically a very large sampling all done in one day. About 48 sites in Scott County, so because the organization is small we rely on volunteers to take samples from all of these sites in order for us to collect the data."
After being trained, Druhl says each group of 2-3 volunteers will test water quality at up to 7 sites.
In most of the streams, lakes, and creeks water quality has stayed relatively steady since the local testing began.
In 2017, the Iowa DNR stopped conducting its own watershed snapshots.
"We are looking forward to continuing these snapshots for several years. However, with the dis-continuation of the DNR's Iowa's water program we are currently borrowing the last water quality testing kits that the DNR has. We are sharing them with the rest of state, so there will be a point when that material is longer available."
Druhl says the group has started a GoFundMe page to try to buy its own watershed testing kits for the future to maintain the data.
For those interested in donating go to info@partnersofscottcountywatersheds.org.
