Alpine Watershed Group
Working to protect, conserve, and restore the watersheds of Alpine County by promoting sustainable community and science-based collaborative solutions
Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring
Since 2012, the Alpine Watershed Group has recruited and trained volunteers to conduct environmental health monitoring in the watersheds of Alpine County. Our monitoring programs aid in creating an important baseline dataset that measures the health of Alpine County’s watersheds. The collected monitoring data is then used to assess and continuously evaluate watershed restoration projects. Here is a list of 303(d) impaired water bodies in Alpine County. We strive as a watershed group to monitor water quality and to compare our findings to the listed impaired water bodies.
If you are interested in monitoring, please contact us! Also check out our Data Summary created in 2017 here.
Upper Carson River Monitoring
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AWG’s longest running program, the River Monitoring program, is citizen science based and has continuously collected water quality data at eight sites throughout the Upper Carson River watershed since 2004.
The parameters sampled for are considered vital signs of stream health and include: water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and turbidity. These water quality measures and physical attributes of streams give very specific information on the health of waters systems and their ability to support wildlife and vegetation. If you are interested and want to learn more about the program please see AWG's River Monitoring Tutorial Video.
Other Resources
Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Monitoring
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In coordination with the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, AWG began a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) monitoring program to more closely track the water quality in some of Alpine County’s most popular summer recreation reservoirs. AWG began these monitoring efforts in late June of 2019 at Red Lake, Indian Creek, and Wet Meadow reservoirs.
Cyanobacteria, commonly referred to as blue-green algae, are naturally present in waterbodies and are an integral part of our ecosystems. When provided with the right conditions, cyanobacteria can develop into a HAB from excessive growth. Blooms, if stimulated enough, can decrease water quality but are only considered an immediate threat to human and animal health if emitting toxins. Not all cyanobacteria produce harmful toxins, but in rare cases, toxin levels may be concentrated enough to cause rashes, diarrhea, or vomiting. If you see signs of a HAB, such as discolored, pea-green water, surface scum, or floating algae, stay out of the water, and do not allow your pets to enter or drink the water. For more information on cyanobacteria, please see the Resources section on the State Water Board’s California Harmful Algal Blooms Portal.
AWG staff and volunteers record water quality parameters (water/air temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity) and collect water samples for lab analyses on nutrients, pigments, and cyanobacteria and their associated toxins. Sampling typically takes place from June through October. We aim to better understand each reservoir’s water quality journey from fresh spring melt waters to warm decreased summer flows, hoping to identify the drivers of the reoccurring HABs.
You can also help by logging your observations using the Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Visual Survey anytime you visit an Alpine County lake. Reception during the lake outing is not required. Simply make note of the date and time, the location (latitude/longitude coordinates if possible), and what you see—visual indicators in the water as well as activities going on at the lake. If you suspect a HAB, please take photos.
To stay apprised of these reservoirs’ current safety statuses, please check the Public Health Briefs under the Departments pulldown menu on the www.alpinecountyca.gov webpage (under Health & Human Services), or you can contact Dr. Johnson directly at rjohnson@alpinecountyca.gov if you would like to subscribe to his distribution list for Public Health Briefs.
If this project interests you, please contact Watershed Coordinator Rachel Kieffer at awg.rachel@gmail.com to get involved as a HAB Monitoring volunteer.
PPCP and CEC Monitoring
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In 2018, Alpine Watershed Group began monitoring Harvey Place Reservoir for the presence/absence of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) and Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs). Currently, South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) treats wastewater from South Lake Tahoe and pumps advanced secondary treated effluent over Luther Pass and above Harvey Place Reservoir in Alpine County. From there, the water moves though a cement energy dissipater before discharging into a drainage ditch. The water meanders through the marsh/meadow and eventually drains into the reservoir. This water is periodically released from the reservoir to irrigate farmland in California approaching the Nevada border. The goal of this study is to assess the presence of PPCPs and CECs that represent human bio-indicators within STPUD wastewater and Harvey Place Reservoir and determine the impacts that these contaminants may have on downstream aquatic organisms and agriculture.
Year 1 Data
2018 PPCP Monitoring Project Interim Report
April 2018 data and one page summary
July 2018 data and one page summary
October 2018 data and one page summary
Year 2 Data
Year 3 Data
Year 4 Data
Summary Report
Photo Monitoring
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Photo point monitoring consists of repeated photography of an area of interest over time. It is an effective way to monitor vegetation and ecosystem changes. In Hope Valley, photo monitoring is used to track the change resulting from the restoration projects of 2015 and 2016 on the West Fork Carson River. Twelve photo points are used to track restoration activity. Over time photos are compiled to provide a visual record of project success. Going forward, volunteers and staff will periodically replicate the photos to gauge long-term effectiveness of restoration projects. Photos are taken about four times a year to capture seasonal changes in water level. Each round of monitoring takes 3-4 hours.
Carson River Snapshot Day
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Snapshot day is organized and run by River Wranglers. Alpine Watershed Group participates as a data collector. Snapshot Day offers students, parents, and educators the chance to experience the river first-hand and interact with resource experts. Snapshot Day data is collected from multiple sites throughout the entire Carson River watershed at the same time on the same day, documenting an annual “snapshot” of the river. The primary purpose is to document and study riparian habitat, measure water quality, and increase understanding about our precious watershed.
With volunteer guidance in Alpine County, student monitoring teams conduct field tests for dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, and temperature, and other water “grab” samples are collected for laboratory analysis of nutrients, turbidity, and bacteria. Student monitoring teams also complete a habitat assessment of their site, which includes visual observations and photo documentation of vegetation and stream conditions.
Bioassessments
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Bioassessments are conducted to assess a stream’s ability to support its dependent ecologies. Surveys include collecting aquatic insects (macroinvertebrates), stream discharge measurements, and assessing bank cover and in-stream habitat characteristics. Certain macroinvertebrate species are intolerant of poor water quality conditions. Their scarcity can indicate water quality issues. This ratio of tolerant to non-tolerant macroinvertebrates is known as the Benthic Macroinvertebrate Index (BMI) and can correlate to stream impacts.
Here is our latest data summary on bioassessment CSCI scores.
Hope Valley Meadow Stewards Program
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Alpine Watershed Group, with support from American Rivers, is managing a multi-year study to develop a hydrologic model for the headwaters of the West Fork of the Carson River, chiefly Hope Valley. Project volunteers collect stream discharge data at four study sites to quantify seasonal variation. That data is correlated with stage data loggers to develop water quantity models.
Click here to view an update on 2017-2018 Hope Valley flow.