Citizen science program: monitoring and Protecting our watershed
Filling the Gaps:
Beginning in April 2017, the Middle Colorado Watershed Council launched a focused action plan to address significant gaps in surface water quality data across the Middle Colorado watershed. Through our growing Citizen Science program, local students and community volunteers collect reliable, standardized water quality data at key sites from Glenwood Springs to De Beque.
In just the first year, volunteers contributed 221 hours of field time, monitoring nine locations each month. Participating groups included Glenwood Springs Middle School, Grand Valley High School, Coal Ridge High School, and Battlement Concerned Citizens, alongside individual community volunteers. Today, with school participation more than doubled, the program teaches children about their local ecosystems and delivers useful data to the state.
Our Approach
The Middle Colorado Watershed Council utilizes River Watch, a longstanding Colorado volunteer initiative designed specifically for water quality testing, to ensure standardization and quality of data collected by volunteers.
Volunteers receive standardized training
Samples are processed through a certified laboratory
All data undergo third-party quality control review
Our MCWC project manager attends and oversees every monitoring event
The River Watch Citizen Science program has produced a reliable baseline of water-quality conditions for the watershed.
what we test:
River Watch volunteers collect a broad suite of water-quality data to assess the health of local waterways. Regular monitoring includes:
Metals: Samples are collected and sent to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife laboratory in Denver for analysis.
pH: Measures the acidity or alkalinity of the water.
Alkalinity: Indicates the water’s ability to neutralize acids.
Hardness: Reflects mineral content, primarily calcium and magnesium.
Dissolved Oxygen: A key indicator of stream health and aquatic life viability.
Nutrients: Collected during both high-flow and low-flow periods to track seasonal changes (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus).
Macroinvertebrates: Sampled in the fall during low flow to assess biological conditions and overall ecosystem health.
Goals include:
Evaluating existing or potential water quality impacts and causes,
Developing a monitoring strategy to track and evaluate change and progress over time, and
Increasing interest and participation.
Read our 2017 Citizen Science Water Quality Monitoring Action Plan
This important work, from Glenwood Springs to De Beque, is made possible in part through a generous grant from The Environmental Foundation of the Aspen Ski Company. We invite new partners to join us in this work. Please get in touch if you would like to get involved.
