Mohonk Preserve Stream Water Quality Invasive Species and Macroinvertebrate Sampling in from 2017-Present

The mission of the Mohonk Preserve is to protect the Shawangunk
Mountains region and inspire people to care for, enjoy, and explore
their natural world. Among these 8,000 acres are the vernal pools,
permanent springs, tributaries, Humpo Marsh, and the Humpo Kill, and
parts of the Kleine Kill and Coxing Kill watersheds within the Hudson
River Drainage Basin. Not only are the areas around the Shawangunks
established habitats for New York State (NYS) protected species,
including an Audubon-designated Important Bird Area, but the watershed
also encapsulates more than one agricultural land use area, as well as
Rondout Creek, which is an important waterway for the New York City
water supply. A conservation plan must be implemented in these areas
in particular, keeping in line with the Mohonk Preserves goal to
conserve the Shawangunk region for both humans and the greater
ecosystem within it. Recognizing the immediate and long-term
conservation needs of the streams in this region by employing
volunteer data collection will be a catalyst to the Preserves
understanding of which environmental threats of this area should be
prioritized. The StreamWatch citizen science program will be the
newest addition to an array of volunteer research areas, which include
collection of weather data, phenology observations, monitoring of
peregrine falcon breeding activities, and monitoring of fall hawk
migration. Using concise stream monitoring protocol designed for
volunteer safety and maximum data accuracy, StreamWatch will evaluate
water quality using an array of parameters. Following thorough
observation and assessment (which will include analyzing appearance
and smell of the water, shape of the stream, canopy cover, nearby land
uses, recent weather, and presence of riparian vegetation including
invasive species) water quality will be evaluated by means of
temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity measurements, in
addition to a macroinvertebrate count. Width and depth will also be
measured, being indirect contributors to stream quality. The
StreamWatch protocol aims to follow a simple procedure that will yield
accurate and useful data from all of these aforementioned parameters
in order to confirm relevant needs for riparian buffers, changes in
nearby agricultural practices (some of which directly affect portions
of the watershed), protection against invasive species, and any other
potential solutions to problems these watersheds may be afflicted by
presently or in the future. Volunteer involvement in this stream water
sampling process will encourage the concept of stewardship among
visitors of the preserve, while simultaneously honing in on and
pursuing various conservation goals.