DAVENPORT, Iowa — There has been lots of talk these past couple of weeks about flood waters, but there is other water in our area being monitored. Citizen scientists in Scott County are getting a snapshot of the water quality at 60 different locations.
"I think it's super important to be an involved citizen in your own community," citizen scientist Laura Meloy said. Meloy was working in one of the ten groups of volunteers, taking their time to positively impact the environment.
"A part of that responsibility is taking what you are passionate about and getting down in like the weeds and testing to make sure that the water is good," Meloy added. They are testing for a number of chemicals such as ammonia, nitrate and phosphate, which in high quantities can cause health concerns.
The vice chair of Partners of Scott County Watersheds, Steve Gustafson, says without this snapshot data, we don't really have an idea of what's going on in our water.
"I would give it a C+ to B-," Gustafson said. "I think it'd be more of taking ownership in your areas, your properties and your activities. He said the biggest thing we can do is picking up trash so it doesn't end up in our water.
Gustafson says this data is making a real life impact. "Partners of Scott County Watersheds and the City of Davenport have done a project with biofilters to help reduce fecal bacteria in the stream, and we knew that because of the data we have gathered," he said.
All of this water will end up in the Mississippi River, and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. These snapshots are taken three times a year in May, July and October.