Creek Monitoring Recertification Process

I got recertified for my Creek Monitoring job last night.

In order to keep the tests standardized and controlled, we are required to go thru a recertification process once a year. There are so many volunteer monitors now, they had to split the group up into two sessions: the first one was last night, the second one will be this Saturday.

We met promptly at 5:00 in the Grant Hall chemistry lab at the Alaska Pacific University campus. They had all the supplies set up and ready for us, with controlled samples of water for each test, beakers labeled for the substance that goes in them, testing equipment available for those (like me) who share their kits with their partners, and two teachers on hand to answer questions.

The Monitoring Program Director from the Anchorage Waterways Council was there, along with a couple veteran volunteer monitors, ready to help out as needed.

I have to admit, it was brutal. I’ve only been monitoring my creek for half a year now, and I do it with a partner, so I’m not that familiar with all the processes. Nor have I ever taken chemistry in college (that’s why I volunteered for the program: it’s a free chemistry class, with field experience). Add to that the fact that our surroundings were not “normal” and the anxiety of being tested – as well as the fact that I’d just come in from work, where I’d had a dead-line on the job I’ve been working on which of course means that everything went wrong… you get the point.

So, I started my sampling at the end of the “suggested sampling order” list, doing my Phosphates and Nitrates first. Since I am the one who typically does them at my creek, I figured this would get me into the groove - so to speak - and make the rest of the night go more smoothly.

From there, I moved on to my Dissolved Oxygen levels, Turbidity Levels, Colormetric pH, and ended with my Hanna Meter readings (this measures the water’s pH, Conductivity, and Total Dissolved Solids). I did the tests in order of familiarity, ending with the one I am least comfortable with.

For each test, they had water that was measured with their fine-tuned instruments so they would know exactly what the results should be. Once we completed our readings, they would check our results against theirs and let us know how we did. This is both a check on our abilities and a check on our testing equipment, to ensure the data we collect is as consistent as we can get it.

When I turned my results in for “grading” they told me that I hadn’t gotten the Hanna Meter readings right (no surprise there) and needed to redo the Phosphate test.

My second attempt at the Hanna Meter readings went much better, but that Phosphate test gave me problems. I even had the Program Director come over and watch me go thru each step to make sure I was doing it right. I went thru the entire process six times, and ended up with six different results – none of which were “correct.” It was very frustrating.

By 9:00, she finally decided that there must be a problem with the reagent sent to us from the company where they get all their testing supplies. She let me go home with a promise to do the testing with my partner and let her know the results from that.

Whew!