"Water" we doing about water quality?

As the days get cooler leaves start to fall and the water turns crisp and clear, Ashland Soil & Water Conservation District will be continuing to pull water samples from tributaries of the Jeromefork and the Mohican River this fall. There are eleven sites throughout the Jeromefork that are tested. On these eleven sites they are tested for PH, phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, coliform, surfactants, potassium as well as ammonia nitrogen/nitrate. Each of these test have their own importance and are being used as a guide for Ashland Soil & Water to determine water quality at each location.

The pH is a measure of how acidic/basic water is. PH has a range between 0-14 with 7 being neutral. The pH of water determines the solubility (amount that can be dissolved) and the biological availability (amount that can be utilized by aquatic life). Not only does the pH of a stream affect organisms living in the water, but the changing pH in a stream can also  be an indicator of increasing pollution or some other environmental factor.

Phosphorus, potassium, and nitrates are essential nutrients for plants and animals. Excessive amounts of these nutrients in surface water can cause explosive growth of algae and aquatic plants. High levels can lead to low dissolved oxygen concentrations, which can cause fish kills and harm other aquatic life along with a variety of other water-quality problems.

Dissolved oxygen can tell us a lot about water quality. Moving water such as streams and rivers have a higher level of dissolved oxygen, whereas stagnant water has less movement and more bacteria that will consume the oxygen. Excess of leaves and grass that is placed in the water will deplete oxygen as it decays removing necessary oxygen aquatic life requires to survive.

Coliform bacteria include a large group made up of many types of bacteria that occur throughout the environment. They are common in soil and surface water and can be found in the waste of animals. Most types of coliform bacteria are harmless to humans, but some can cause mild illnesses. The presence of coliform in water doesn’t mean water will cause harm, it is just an indicator that a contamination pathway exists.

Ashland Soil & Water Conservation District does a hand full of these tests out in the field and others are processed in the office with a colorimeter. If an abnormal test is noticed more in-depth testing would be conducted with another agency’s assistance.

Along the Mohican River Ashland SWCD joins forces with the Ohio Scenic Rivers Program to do stream quality testing. Ohio’s Scenic Rivers Program monitors streams and rivers throughout Ohio by collecting and counting macroinvertebrates (small aquatic organisms). Examples of these macroinvertebrates are insect larvae, crayfish, snails, and clams. The monitoring process includes seining the same portion of the river three times a year and counting macroinvertebrates which are returned to the water. The survey data is entered into an assessment form and the score is calculated for each site. This type of testing does not require any chemical analysis, it is a simple and cost-effective method to test. Ohio Scenic River is always looking for volunteers to do this testing throughout the Mohican area, if there is an interest in learning how fun and interesting this testing can actually be please contact our office for more information.

With water quality being of concern in any water way we do have cost share programs available with Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) to continue to improve water quality. MWCD has cost share for exclusion fencing, log jam removal as well as cover crop usage. 2023 cover crop application process has wrapped up and this year there were over 3,000 acres approved in Ashland County alone. This is amazing and our goal is to continue to increase the number of acres with cover crops in 2024.

On September 5th Ashland SWCD will be partnering with Fisher Crop Care by Air to fly on cover crops on some of the fields approved for cost share.  We welcome you to come out the morning of September 5th to Ashland airport or watch the sky to catch a glimpse of conservation firsthand.  To get on the mailing list for cost share projects or to receive more information on any of these projects or volunteering opportunities call Ashland Soil & Water Conservation District at 419-281-7645.