Friends of the Mad River is incorporating conductivity measurements into their reimagined Mad River Watch program as part of a broader effort to understand the impacts of climate change in the watershed.

Over the last year, Friends staff and board have worked closely with a water quality scientist, Becky Tharp of Just Water Consulting, to ground the new program in sound scientific methods.

“Conductivity is a measure of the ability of water to pass an electrical current through it,” says Tharp. “The leading cause of increasing conductivity in freshwater ecosystems in Vermont is runoff from de-icing salts used on roads for winter maintenance (usually sodium chloride, NaCl).”

Increases in freeze-thaw cycles are associated with a changing climate and lead to more salt usage over the winter season. More extreme weather also means longer periods of drought during the summer, which can lead to dry and dusty dirt roads. “Calcium chloride (CaCl) salts are also used on Vermont roads in spring and summer to control dust. When the salt dissolves and is carried off of the roadway, it can enter streams and lakes, making the fresh water salty and increasing the conductivity,” explains Tharp.

On January 14th, Kris Stepenuck, Extension Associate Professor at UVM, joined the Ridge to River taskforce for a conversation and presentation on road salt. Stepenuck summarized the environmental, economic, and social challenges, as well as the many uses for salt that keep our roads, parking lots, driveways and sidewalks safe during winter months. She also described best management practices that can be used to minimize the use of salt. A recording of this presentation can be found on Friends’ website - Winter & Road Salt: A Ridge to River Investigation .
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“Road salt fits into conversations this group has been having for a while,” says Friends Director, Corrie Miller, “about the challenges local road crews and budget decision-makers face, the pros and cons of best management practices, and the value of better understanding impacts on the Mad River.” 

“A high conductivity level is not necessarily bad,” says Tharp. “Many things can influence a waterbody’s conductivity, including natural conditions like bedrock material. In most cases, conductivity in a waterbody will be consistent over time unless there is some change in the watershed.”
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While they can be naturally occurring, excess salts from road runoff can negatively impact wildlife and freshwater ecosystems. High conductivity correlates well with salt concentration and, where conductivity or other pollutant measurements are high, Friends plans to follow up with further investigation to try and determine the source.
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Volunteers use a digital probe to record highly accurate measurements of conductivity in the field. “Having these readings along the length of the Mad River will help us learn what the common conductivity levels are in the river,” Miller. “This will allow us to track change over time and space - so we can stop pollutant sources before they cause further damage.” 
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Once Friends has established some baseline data, volunteers will respond to high conductivity levels in the field by taking more readings upstream of the initial sampling site and, as needed, by taking a grab sample to be measured in a lab that will show exactly what’s causing the high readings. 

Mad River Watch volunteers closely observe their field sites and sample water quality parameters like temperature, nitrate/nitrite, phosphate and conductivity in the field. This week saw 14 teams of volunteers visit 21 field sites.

The recent rain led to high water levels in the tributaries and the mainstem. Rainy weather can be a great time to observe the value of riparian buffers for reducing erosion. One volunteer noted that at the Ward Access, “the area we typical stand to take measurements is now shallow water. The river seemed to be running faster. No major erosion on southeast bank and lots of vegetation to hold the bank in place, although it looks like more soil was exposed just above water height.”

Another volunteer reminds us that a single tree is not enough for a stable riparian buffer. At Mill Brook, “I’m about 10-20 yards downstream from where I’ve been testing, because a large portion of tree has come down in the place I’ve been testing.”
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Over the summer, FMR will compile data and observations and share key findings and highlights in the Valley Reporter and online at friendsofthemadriver.org/madriverwatch.

​On June 27th and 28th, Friends of the Mad River’s (FMR) Mad River Watch volunteers visited field sites across the Valley in order to monitor water quality and make detailed environmental observations for their second field exploration this summer. This article is part of a series highlighting the questions and field work driving volunteers to find answers about the health of the Mad River watershed, as well as the community of supporters that make it possible.
 
“Mad River Watch, like most of Friends’ work, is a community effort,” says FMR Director, Corrie Miller. “More than 30 years of volunteer work, partnerships with landowners, and deeply-held commitment from donors have shaped the program as it exists today. This year, we’re excited to see returning volunteers as well as more than a dozen new ones, and to celebrate the sponsorship by Lawson’s Finest.”
 
Lawson’s Finest Liquid’s charitable giving, along with other aspects of the business, supports the values of excellence, authenticity, fun, community, and innovation. “At Lawson’s Finest, we love to help support thriving communities where people take good care of each other, protect and enjoy the natural world, and bring more fun to life,” said Karen Lawson. “We are so happy to support the Mad River Watch 2.0 efforts through our Social Impact Program to ensure the pristine nature of our beloved waterway.”

​Lawson’s Green is Grand initiative focuses on a commitment to joining innovation, efficiency, and taking steps to “green-up” the beer production process and minimize impact in a resource-intensive manufacturing business. “In the brewery itself, our efforts have led Lawson’s Finest to use water as efficiently as possible”, said Lawson. “We’ve exceeded industry benchmarks for gallons of water required for each batch of beer.”
 
Lawson’s Finest constructed a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility and implemented extensive side-streaming efforts to remove solids and organic loads from their wastewater stream. “Our side-streamed high-strength waste is then pumped and trucked to an anaerobic digester facility that turns the organic solids into electrical energy,” explained Lawson.
 
The remaining wastewater passes through an on-site aerated biological treatment system that breaks down the remaining organic loads and the treated effluent discharge water is lower in strength than a standard household septic system. Lawson’s Finest Liquids received a 2020 Special Project Merit Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Vermont for their Wastewater Pre-Treatment system. 
 
“We see supporting Mad River Watch as being in alignment with our efforts to green up our production process,” says Lawson. “Not to mention the fact that great beer needs great water in the first place!”

​Mad River Watch volunteers closely observe their field sites and sample water quality parameters like temperature, nitrate/nitrite, phosphate, and conductivity in the field. This week saw fifteen teams of volunteers visit seventeen field sites.
 
While we typically expect a rain to deliver pollutants from the land into the water, a rainy Saturday seemed to be absorbed by the dry landscape with little observed impact showing in the water. A pair of volunteers visiting the Ward Access swimming hole this Sunday noted that the, “recent short duration heavy rains do not seem to have caused substantial fluvial changes. The water is as clear as before.” Another pair of volunteers visiting the Riverside Park on Sunday saw similar conditions of clear water and low flow, in spite of the recent rain. Some elevated phosphate levels were noted across the watershed and Friends’ staff and volunteers are considering them as they calibrate their testing methods and establish baseline information for the new water quality parameters
 
Volunteers recorded signs and direct observations of wildlife such as water pennies, Cabbage and White Admiral butterflies, minnows, snails, bear scat, frogs, a curious groundhog, and many birds. One volunteer, visiting Shepard Brook this Sunday, noted that, “Meadow rue is blooming as well as purple flowered raspberry. The western bank is covered in virginia creeper, grape and clematis vines.” At Riverside Park this Monday, another volunteer observed, “clover, buttercup, daisies, and white campion.”
 
Over the summer, FMR will compile data and observations and share key findings and highlights in the Valley Reporter and online at friendsofthemadriver.org/madriverwatch.

Mad River Watch volunteers are using methods that allow them to test water quality parameters like temperature, nitrate/nitrite, phosphate, and conductivity in the field, instead of sending them off for lab analysis. This enables volunteers and FMR to better identify pollutant sources and respond to changing conditions as they arise. 

With an eye towards a changing climate, FMR volunteers are now measuring conductivity. “With more freeze thaw cycles, we anticipate more road salt application,” said Corrie Miller, Executive Director. “Road salt is good for people getting where they want to go in winter, but it’s not great for freshwater ecosystems. Measuring conductivity can give us a sense of where road salt is getting into our streams and rivers.” 

The new MRW program is built around observation as the basis for sound scientific inquiry. “Focusing on observation makes a nice addition to the science,” said Julie Westervelt who volunteers with her daughter Ingrid. “It is not just about the numbers, but the overall picture of a healthy ecosystem.” “And then we can share that story with the community,” said Lisa Koitzsch, MRW Coordinator. “Painting a picture of change over time, hearing what matters to people, and guiding the questions Friends asks next.”

Another big change this year is that FMR won’t be measuring E. coli. “The community came to see the E. coli data Mad River Watch collected as important for public health awareness, and we believe that they were,” said Miller. “However, our methods were teaching us the same lessons without adding to our learning. One critical trend we observed through the decades is that if it has been dry and then rains, the E. coli levels in the river increase, along with turbidity. It is predictable and now that we have learned this, we don’t need to collect new data to know that the best way you can protect yourself is by avoiding swimming 1-2 days after a rain or when the water is silty.”

FMR has been a core partner in developing the stewardMRV program that aims at improving the valley’s stewardship ethic and is encouraging volunteers to sign up as site stewards. In support of this collaborative Valley-wide effort, FMR has added a stewardship component to the MRW protocol and volunteers are serving as site stewards. Now, MRW volunteers’ experience as keen observers and ambassadors for the river add value as they track problematic use at river sites and pitch in to clean up.

As part of a second phase of the program’s changes, E. coli testing will return next year with the establishment of a handful of “sentinel” sites along the main stem, but it will not be tied to swimholes. Analysis of sentinel sites will be done at a professional lab and will be used to track change in the Mad River over time. ​