WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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EnviroDIY Sensor Stations

Overview

Through a partnership with Stroud Water Research Center, the Trust has set up four EnviroDIY Sensor Stations monitoring the water in Crum and Ridley Creeks. You can see two of the sensors in Ridley Creek within Ashbridge Preserve. The EnviroDIY Sensor Stations monitor water quality in real time, taking readings every five minutes, which allows the Trust to continuously track changes in water quality. Our EnviroDIY Sensor Stations measure water temperature, conductivity, depth, and turbidity - a description of water clarity typically dictated by the concentration of sediment suspended in the water.

Temperature

The Watershed Protection Program uses the EnviroDIY Sensor Station data to monitor water quality in Crum and Ridley Creeks. In this respect, each measurement is crucial and complementary.

Temperature readings from July 25th to August 5th 2018.
Temperature readings from July 25th to August 5th 2018.

Water temperature determines the level of dissolved oxygen within a stream, which is the form of oxygen aquatic organisms rely on to breathe. In this part of the world, many organisms prefer cold water that is packed with oxygen, so it is important to keep water temperatures from getting too high.

Water temperature can be altered by a number of variables including the amount of sediment suspended in the water, direct sunlight, and the temperature of the runoff that is entering the waterway; all issues that are rooted in land use in the watershed area. Therefore, maintaining stream bank trees to shade the water and reducing sediment and runoff contamination are vital to maintaining high quality water.

Depth, Turbidity, and Conductivity

Our EnviroDIY Sensor Stations can help us determine sediment load and runoff contamination by measuring water depth, turbidity, and conductivity. Water depth, when supplemented by water velocity measurements, can describe the stream’s discharge rate, or the volume of water moving past the sensor. Discharge rate when paired with the sensor’s measurement of turbidity can approximate the amount of sediment moving through the creeks, which can negatively impact water quality.

Conductivity measures the water’s ability to conduct an electric current. Increases in conductivity usually indicate contamination by salts or metals. When conductivity gets too high, the stream can become uninhabitable for freshwater organisms. Some human activities, like adding salt to an icy walkway or treating a lawn with fertilizer, can increase conductivity in our waterways. In this way, our actions on land are reflected in the water. Spikes in water conductivity measured by our EnviroDIY Sensor Stations can help identify problems with urban runoff contamination.

Want to monitor the stream health of Ridley and Crum Creeks in real time? Click the links below to see the EnviroDIY Sensor Stations in action for yourself.

Ridley Creek at Ashbridge Preserve - Upstream Sensor

Ridley Creek at Ashbridge Preserve - Downstream Sensor

Ridley Creek at Garrett Mill

Crum Creek at Kirkwood Preserve

You can also visit MonitorMyWatershed.org to browse other monitoring sites around the world!

Stroud

OUR NATURE PRESERVES

Our nature preserves are open to the public 365 days per year, providing natural places that offer peace and respite for all. We will keep them open as long as it is safe to do so. While visiting our preserves, please practice social distancing and wear a mask if you encounter another person who will be closer than six feet … Learn more about our nature preserves.

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27 January

Lunch and Learn: Road Salt and Its Impact on Fresh Water

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The Trust's holistic approach to land conservation, with a focus on the connections among land, farm, birds, and water, protects native habitat and provides open space for our earth to heal. Please help the Trust continue to preserve our natural world for all  generations and consider making an impactful donation … Donate Today

CONTACT

925 Providence Road
Newtown Square, PA 19073
(610) 353-2562
land@wctrust.org

OUR STORY

Willistown Conservation Trust's mission is to: "preserve and manage the open land, rural character, … read more

WHERE WE WORK

The work of the Willistown Conservation Trust is concentrated on 28,000 acres of Willistown Township … read more

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