Monitoring Programs Teach Citizens to Safeguard Health of River Ecosystems

Students, members of environmental organizations and other community volunteers in central British Columbia are helping scientists monitor the water quality of the Salmon River by collecting, identifying and counting insects, clams, crayfish, snails, leeches, worms and other tiny aquatic invertebrates that make the tributary their home.

This volunteer-based monitoring program-developed by scientists at Environment Canada's National Water Research Institute in Saskatoon in consultation with local groups and government agencies-enables people with little or no science background to take an active role in safeguarding their local environment by teaching them basic scientific sampling techniques. And it provides the scientific community with valuable information on how the river's ecosystem is changing over time.

Aquatic macroinvertebrates are prime subjects for such studies for several reasons. First, they are relatively easy to sample-not only because they are large enough to be seen without a microscope, but also because they are a primary food source for many important species of fish, and therefore abundant in most streams. Second, because they do not stray far during their lives, they indicate a river ecosystem's state of health by revealing the effects of short- and long-term environmental variations on local conditions.

Once the composition of the invertebrate community has been determined, inferences can be drawn about the health of the stream at the sites sampled and, ultimately, about the extent of habitat degradation caused by impacts such as organic enrichment or sedimentation. Some macroinvertebrates are more sensitive to water pollution or other habitat disturbances than others. However, understanding which types of pollutants are involved or why certain types of animals are present or absent requires more information than a simple count can provide.

A second aspect of the monitoring program involves measurements of key water quality variables and the sampling of algae. Once again, community volunteers are enlisted to take samples, but, in this case, professional laboratories perform the analysis. Often, this level of monitoring is carried out in partnership with government agencies, which use the information as an early warning of potential water pollution problems.

Scientists working with communities to develop these programs are confident that these techniques can be applied elsewhere in the country and can play an important role in raising public awareness about pollution prevention and environmental stewardship. Researchers from the Institute are already providing hands-on training to and preparing an instruction manual for groups in Atlantic Canada, so that communities on the other side of the country will be able to participate in volunteer-based monitoring programs and become more aware of local water quality issues.

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