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Youth Water Monitors

Tracking The River’s Health. One Kid At A Time.

Every day, kids living in the Elizabeth River Watershed work as Youth Water Monitors. They help track the river’s health and progress, and alert us to any new water quality threats. It’s a great way for kids and future scientists to explore their home river and become lifelong stewards.

Join the Fun!

Youth monitors range from ages 8-17 and 3rd through 10th grade.
  • Step 1 - Find your spot: Pick a location on any branch of the river that suits you. You'll visit for the next 8 weeks to test different aspects of the water quality. You'll measure things like temperature, PH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, nitrates, phosphates, and turbidity.
  • Step 2 - Test the water: Get a FREE kit with everything you need to assess the water quality. You'll have access to videos and instructions to make testing the water easy and fun!
  • Step 3 - Submit your results: Make a real impact on the river by submitting your results each week. Your data will help us track the river's health and spot any problems. You can also compare your data with other youth monitors and see which branches are cleanest.

How Do Your Results Compare?

Follow the links below to see National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s results. Once on the page, select “decoded data” for more details. 

Check what you measure! TW = temperature,  WS = salinity, WO = dissolved oxygen (ppm), WX = dissolved oxygen % saturation, HM = tide height, WP = pH, WT = turbidity

Eastern Branch
Lafayette Branch

Fall 2024
Water Quality Monitoring Results
October 12th-December 6th

Our Youth Water Monitors spend 8 weeks on the water testing temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, nitrates, phosphates, turbidity and salinity using a LaMotte Earth Force Low-Cost Water Quality Monitoring Kit. All of their results are posted here each week, so we can all keep track of the river’s health. This data is recorded for educational purposes only.

Week 8 results (Nov 30th-Dec 6th)

Previous Week’s Results

What Our Monitors Measure

Ph

Ph is a measure of acidity in the water. Too much acidity can be harmful to shellfish. A healthy Ph level In the Elizabeth River is between 7 & 8.

Bacteria

Fecal coliform bacteria comes from both wild animals and domestic pets and washes into the river with stormwater and flooding. That’s why it’s so important for pet owners to scoop the poop!

Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

A healthy level of breathable water for the river’s marine life is 4 parts per million or above.

Nitrates and Phosphates

Nitrates and phosphates are important nutrients for many plants and animals; however, too much of either can be harmful. Landscape fertilizer runoff creates algae blooms that decrease the dissolved oxygen marine life needs. A healthy level in the Elizabeth River is under 5 parts per million for nitrates and 4 parts per million for phosphates.

Temperature

Fish and crustaceans like blue crabs can’t regulate their own body temperature. Marine life in the Elizabeth River enjoy a moderate water temperature between 32 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Turbidity

Turbidity is a measure of water clarity. High turbidity can make it hard for birds like Osprey to find fish. A healthy level in the Elizabeth is around 100 JTU (Jackson Turbidity Units) or less.

Salinity

Salinity is how much salt is present in water and is typically measured in ppt or parts per thousand.

Register for the next session in Spring 2025

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Ryan Resilience Lab Event Request

Thank you for your interest in the Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab. We’re delighted that our site is in high demand. As the Ryan Resilience Lab is operated by a small non-profit with a big environmental mission, please help us make sure your event is a great fit.

Our priority is to host groups with relevance to our mission: to restore the Elizabeth River through equitable collaboration with diverse communities, governments, and businesses. When space and staff support are available, we are happy to host such groups free of charge, but do request that you consider an organizational membership and allow us to offer the opportunity for individual memberships.

Please fill this form out at least 30 days in advance of the event.

Our maximum for indoor seated events is 85 theater style and 45 classroom style. For standing receptions, the maximum is 100 indoors or 125 indoor-outdoor.
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If given the go-ahead for our event, sponsor organization agrees to these Ryan Lab policies:

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Additionally, sponsor organization agrees to these administrative/liability requirements:

  • ERP maintains insurance for its activities at the Ryan Lab. Sponsoring organizations should ensure that they have appropriate insurance coverage as well.
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  • Open flames generally are prohibited (special permission only).
  • Outdoor guests will be required to exit the Learning Park during thunder, lightning, high winds or any circumstance deemed hazardous by ERP.
  • Waiver of Claims: Sponsoring organizations agree to release, waive all claims, discharge, and covenant not to sue Elizabeth River Project, its officers, employees, volunteers, and agents from liability from any and all claims resulting in personal injury, accidents or illnesses and property loss arising from, but not limited to, participation in the event and related tours, due to the negligence of sponsor, sponsor's employees, or event participants.
  • Notice of Claims: Sponsor agrees to provide immediate notice to ERP if any participant either files, or threatens to file, a claim arising from or related to the event, so that ERP can notify its insurance carriers.
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  • Photo Release: Photos of the event may be shared as part of grant reporting or posted on Elizabeth River Project website/social media unless otherwise specified by the sponsor organization.
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Youth Water Monitoring Results

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Sample Data

Bacteria

Observations

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