Ended: October 2018
Total Hours: 100
I performed numerous volunteer tasks with Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed.
Water Awareness Reporting Network (WARN)
This is a visual reporting program.The purpose is to report any appearances of pollution to the appropriate agency for investigation. This can be illegal and/or accidental dumping.
The following will be observed for pollution:
- Sewage
- Stormwater
- Industrial
- Agricultural
- Mineral Extraction
Water Sentinel
The water in selected streams are tested three (3) times a year to monitor for pollution (chemical) or other factors that may effect the water quality. Macroinvertebrates (physical) are also collected to determine diversity. The macroinvertebrates are found by kick sampling and rock washing.
The following areas are tested:
- Quantitative Observations
- Conductivity
- TDS (total dissolved solids)
- Salinity
- Water temperature
- pH
- Alkalinity
- Hardness
- Chlorine
- Nitrate / Nitrite
- Qualitative Observations
- Flow rate
- Turbidity
- Visual observations
- Knowledge of near-by industrial activities
- ExTech EC400
- Aquatic net
- Water test strips
- Nitrate and nitrite test strips
The FLOW WIKI page is designed to inform the public about each section of the Olentangy River watershed. It is broken down by each stream that feeds the Olentangy river. My job is to help keep it updated so it provides accurate information to the public. Currently I am contacting related agencies such as the Ohio EPA, Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, USGS and others to obtain relevant data for the site. I than take this data and write an informative summary that public may read on the site. I am also gathering testing patterns over the last few years and plan to create bar graph to show any changes for each major tributary within the Olentangy Watershed.
Office Administration Duties
- Log new donations, member information and other data in Google Drive using Google Fusion. Information within each record is checked for accuracy and edited as needed. I also write and mail out any thank you notes or receipts.
- Updating inventory list in the office which includes testing supplies.
- Scan photos and documents for various purposes.
- Answer phone and check voice messages.
- Perform any other office duties as needed.
- Assist in cleaning debris and trash along the banks of the Olentangy river and its watershed.
- Dig into ground to remove trash that was buried due to environmental factors
- Identify invasive species
- Cut large plants with saw or clippers
- Remove roots from ground to prevent them from growing back
- Dig holes for seedlings making sure hole is the correct size for seedling's root system.
- Space seedlings so they are not too close to provide best growth that is appropriate to the species.
Volunteer Photos
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