We had a wonderful time this past Saturday testing the water in the Rivanna River and in Trevillian Creek. Mary Loose DeViney, Grace Wilkinson, and Kyle Emery led the way. Mary Loose is a Rivanna Riverkeeper, part of the Rivanna Conservation Society's efforts towards keeping the river healthy through the efforts of dedicated volunteers. Grace and Kyle are graduate students in Environmental Science at the University of Virginia, and both have a strong background in river monitoring.
Here we have Kyle dipping into Trevillian Creek to test the turbidity.
The water is definitely tinged with the orange of Virginia clay.
Increased turbidity makes it harder for underwater plants to receive light for photosynthesis.
Above, Mary is comparing a water sample to various colors to determine its pH. The pH is close to neutral, which is good news for the river.
Here Grace approaches with a water sample from the vernal pool.
A crawfish that has seen better days... (Or should I say "Crayfish"?)
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