July Watershed Sampling

My son and I do water sampling in a nearby stream for the Four Rivers Watershed Watch. The stream that we sample ultimately feeds into the West Fork of the Clarks River. We have had a dry summer and as of last week, we expected to find nothing but stagnant pools in our stream. However, we received a significant rain just days before sampling and the stream was flowing reasonably well for this time of year.


We always measure the pH, dissolved oxygen, and water temperature.


The sample we take in July is specifically for the presence of E.coli bacteria. The analysis is performed at the Hancock Biological Station, which is a field research facility located on Kentucky Lake and operated by Murray State University.


This is what we have to walk through to get from the road to our access point on the stream. The machete is always much needed.