Can citizen science describe the scope of chloride pollution problems?
Since the winter of 2012-2013, a group of Missouri Stream Team volunteers have collected chloride measurements in St. Louis area streams, predominantly in the Deer Creek and Grand Glaize Creek watersheds; 34 trained volunteers have collected over 2,000 in-stream chloride measurements at 59 sites throughout the St. Louis region. They have identified chloride concentrations above the chronic and acute toxicity thresholds at 43 and 34 of these sites, respectively.
Since the winter of 2012-2013, a group of Missouri Stream Team volunteers have collected chloride measurements in St. Louis area streams, predominantly in the Deer Creek and Grand Glaize Creek watersheds; 34 trained volunteers have collected over 2,000 in-stream chloride measurements at 59 sites throughout the St. Louis region. They have identified chloride concentrations above the chronic and acute toxicity thresholds at 43 and 34 of these sites, respectively.
Maximum measured chloride concentration at Stream Team volunteer sites, 2012-2018.
While ST volunteer data provide useful snapshots of the conditions in streams around the St. Louis region, the unevenness of the data and the coarseness of the test methods make it difficult to draw strong conclusions using this dataset alone. We are now collecting continuous monitoring data for chloride in some of these streams in order to unify the datasets and provide a more complete picture of conditions in the St. Louis region.
I am currently developing a manuscript on this work with a team of the citizen scientists who have been involved in the project. Look for our work in the coming year!
I am currently developing a manuscript on this work with a team of the citizen scientists who have been involved in the project. Look for our work in the coming year!
