Water quality in nearby streams is being monitored by Hamilton County Health Department

Arcadia, Indiana – As part of the Hoosier Riverwatch program, a state-sponsored water quality monitoring initiative, the Hamilton County Health Department and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) are keeping an eye on the condition of nearby rivers and streams.

“Our office participates as often as we can,” said Morgan Bennett, Senior Environmental Health Specialist at the Health Department. “It is not a part of our regulatory requirements, but it is a nice break from our normal activities during the summer months. It allows us to get directly involved with the stream and connect to nature.”

A section of Little Cicero Creek in Bishops Park near Arcadia was recently sampled by the team, which also includes college students who work as part-time water quality technicians. They assessed the flow, temperature, and transparency of the water as well as the levels of nitrate, pH, phosphate, and dissolved oxygen.

“We also test for E. coli and collect and identify macroinvertebrates,” Bennett added. “Some species are more pollution tolerant than others. We’re looking for diversity of these organisms as they can indicate the overall water quality of the stream.”

To ascertain the water quality of streams and how it is changing over time, the organization gathers data that is later uploaded to the online database of Hoosier Riverwatch. As part of its volunteer stream monitoring program, Hoosier Riverwatch has educated more than 3,000 stream monitors since 1996. The network of volunteers actively manages Indiana’s priceless water resources. People can participate by going to HoosierRiverWatch.com.