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.莫霍克保护区（Mohonk Preserve）的使命为保护肖万昆山脉（Shawangunk Mountains）区域，并激励人们关爱、欣赏与探索其自然世界。这片占地8000英亩的区域内，涵盖季节性池塘（vernal pools）、常年泉水、支流、汉普沼泽（Humpo Marsh）与汉普溪（Humpo Kill），以及哈德逊河流域（Hudson River Drainage Basin）内克莱恩溪（Kleine Kill）和考克斯溪（Coxing Kill）的部分流域。 肖万昆山脉周边不仅是纽约州（NYS）保护物种的稳定栖息生境，还包含奥杜邦指定重要鸟类栖息地（Audubon-designated Important Bird Area）；该流域同时涵盖多处农业用地，以及服务纽约市供水系统的重要水道朗多特溪（Rondout Creek）。针对上述区域需特别落实保护规划，以契合莫霍克保护区为人类与区域内更大生态系统保护肖万昆区域的目标。 通过开展志愿者数据收集工作，识别本区域溪流的短期与长期保护需求，将助力保护区明确该区域需优先应对的环境威胁。溪流观察（StreamWatch）公民科学项目将成为现有志愿者研究领域的新增项目——此前志愿者研究包括气象数据收集、物候观测、游隼（peregrine falcon）繁殖活动监测以及秋季鹰类迁徙（fall hawk migration）监测。 溪流观察项目采用专为保障志愿者安全、提升数据准确性而设计的简洁监测规程（stream monitoring protocol），通过多维度参数评估水质。完整的观测与评估环节将涵盖水体外观与气味、溪流形态、冠层覆盖度、周边土地利用情况、近期天气状况以及包括入侵物种（invasive species）在内的河岸植被（riparian vegetation）调查；在此基础上，将通过水温、溶解氧（dissolved oxygen）、酸碱度（pH）、浊度（turbidity）测量以及大型无脊椎动物计数（macroinvertebrate count）开展水质评估，同时测量溪流宽度与深度——二者均为影响溪流质量的间接指标。 溪流观察项目的监测规程旨在遵循简便流程，从上述所有参数中获取准确且实用的数据，以此明确河岸缓冲带（riparian buffers）保护、周边农业生产方式调整（部分农业活动直接影响流域部分区域）、入侵物种防控以及其他针对当前或未来流域可能面临问题的潜在解决方案的相关需求。 志愿者参与溪流水质采样工作，将在保护区访客中培育生态管护理念，同时助力各项保护目标的落实与推进。