On July 7th & 8th, teams of Mad River Watch volunteers visited their field sites to collect important data and make careful environmental observations for the third time this summer. This article is part of an ongoing series that shares highlights from this fieldwork as well as lessons learned from this year and the past 40 years of Friends of the Mad River’s Mad River Watch program. In the coming weeks, we’ll share more details about the various pollutants we monitor and why we do so, starting with chloride this week.

All About Chlorine
Chlorine, a reactive greenish-yellow gas characterized by a pungent odor, is used in several industrial and commercial applications including water treatment, bleaching, production of plastics and solvents.

Chlorine naturally occurs in our waterways but excess amounts can have severe ramifications for water quality. Regrettably, chlorine can contaminate rivers from multiple sources, including industrial discharges, sewage treatment facilities, water treatment plants, agricultural runoff, and most notably in Vermont, stormwater runoff of de-icing compounds like road salts. High levels of chlorine are known to negatively impact fish populations and can pose risks for consumption, swimming, and fishing. Preliminary results from our last sampling event showed chloride ranges between 2.4 mg/l & 25.3 mg/l. Final results will be verified later and these levels are subject to change. Since this is something new for MRW to monitor, at this time we are just trying to get a sense of what baseflow chloride levels are.

How We Sample
To safeguard the Mad River Watershed and the larger Lake Champlain Basin against the impact of high chlorine content in our waters, Friends of the Mad River works with volunteers to conduct chlorine sampling at five different locations on the main stem of the Mad River through support from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) La Rosa Partnership Program. Samples are collected every two weeks in the summer and sent off to the DEC laboratory for testing. The data we collect allows us to monitor chlorine levels to ensure water quality remains within acceptable limits. The results may also allow us to pinpoint sources of chlorine pollution, enabling targeted intervention.

​While Mad River Watch sampling happens only in the summer months, according to the Watershed Management Division of the Vermont DEC, chlorine sampling can be done at any time of the year and during any flow condition. It is generally highest during the spring snowmelt period with the flush of road and parking lot runoff, however, some streams are showing year-round elevated chloride levels due to groundwater, wastewater, or agricultural discharges. River flow information is also important because it helps to interpret what type of pollutant sources might be present. Generally, chlorine concentration is diluted during higher flows. If we see high concentrations of chlorine during these conditions, it might point us to a direct discharge somewhere upstream.

​Our data this season indicates that the chlorine load in the Mad River is relatively low. Our next steps are to continue monitoring chloride at the five sites this year and for the next few years as we establish baseline conditions. We are also looking at expanding our season for conductivity monitoring (which correlates with chloride & sodium) which can help us better understand the flush of salts into the water in the spring. The same probes we use for conductivity could be used to understand the extent to which pollutants like chloride enter the river during storms.

Observations from the Field - Summer is Heating Up
The weather on both field days was sunny and warm with scattered clouds. Air temperatures ranged from a low of 62F at Brook Road on Sunday to a high of 85F on North Road on Monday. The recent rains also contributed to higher and faster water flows across the watershed. Water temperatures can range greatly throughout the day, increasing with greater exposure to solar radiation – sunshine. Water temperatures ranged from a low of 61.5F at Clay Brook on Monday morning to a high of 75F in the Main Stem near Waitsfield Covered Bridge on Monday evening. The average temperature across both days was 65.8F. As water travels from high up in the mountains to the confluence with the Winooski, it leaves the shady forests for long stretches of open canopy and the possibility of strong sunshine through much of Waitsfield and Moretown.​

​During my year serving as the Watershed Engagement Coordinator at Friends of the Mad River, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to design educational and engagement opportunities on climate and watershed ecology, learn about the field of environmental conservation, work with partners, volunteers, and landowners, and explore the beautiful mountains, rivers, and valleys of Vermont.

My primary responsibility is to design and implement educational programs for the Mad River Valley community. I developed a climate and ecology book club and collaborated with the town libraries to host our monthly book discussions. I also co-lead and host workshops, documentary screenings, and field trips, usually with a local “expert” on topics ranging from floodplains and animal tracking to forest bathing, snowshoeing, and nature journaling. These events have been an amazing opportunity to creatively engage and connect our community with the watershed through fun and educational events. It’s been rewarding to see people engage with the natural world and develop a deeper understanding of environmental issues through conversations and personal reflection during these experiences.

One memorable experience happened early in my service term on a field trip I led with a floodplain expert from the Vermont DEC. It was a bitterly cold November morning, the first frost of the season, but all of that was forgotten as we learned about the diverse plant and animal life on the site, the importance of floodplains in filtering water, providing habitat for wildlife, and mitigating floods. I was fascinated by the myriad signs of beavers we saw, including a beaver dam and a giant felled tree.

 Serving the Mad River Valley community through education and engagement provides natural opportunities to learn and hone my interest in conservation. As someone completely new to the field, it’s been an amazing opportunity to interact with and collaborate with conservation partners and organizations, some of whom have then led field trips I've hosted. In organizing educational programs for the community, I’ve learned about different ecosystems, wildlife habitats, and the importance of protecting biodiversity. In providing engagement opportunities to the community, I’ve participated in hands-on conservation projects, such as planting trees and removing invasive species. I’ve been a direct recipient of my service and have been able to curate the programs we run to align with what the community needs and what I am interested in.

One project that I particularly enjoyed was working with a team of 100+ volunteers to reforest a riverside parcel that used to be an old hay field. Through this project, I learned the principles of riparian buffer restoration, including what native tree species are wildlife-friendly, how tree nurseries operate, and how to work with volunteers and landowners. Most importantly, this project highlighted the transformative power of collective action in protecting and preserving natural ecosystems since none of the work could have happened without the willing landowners, volunteers who planted 1200+ native trees and shrubs, and partner conservation organizations that provided support in various forms.

​As someone who values aesthetics, I’ve been blessed to call Vermont home for the past 10 months and to have the opportunity to explore the state's diverse landscapes and witness its different inhabitants change their lifestyles with the seasons. Whether running along the North Branch or Winooski rivers in Montpelier, hiking, skiing, biking, or driving to work through the Mad River Valley, every new day provides the opportunity to see and experience a different side and season of the mountains and rivers. To say I’m constantly amazed by the natural beauty of Vermont would be an understatement. I’ve also had the chance to share this fascination with Vermont’s beauty with others through a seasonal photo contest to get people to share photos depicting their love for the Mad River watershed.

One of my magical interactions with Vermont’s inhabitants was spending a dark, wet night in April helping amphibians cross a road in Waitsfield. It was an amazing experience to witness the biological process that returns frogs, toads, and salamanders to the vernal pools where they were born. It was also incredibly gratifying to contribute in a small way towards making their mating journey easier by helping them cross the roads between their winter forest habitat and spring wetland habitat and to know that other volunteers were doing the same in other parts of the watershed.

Asking the Right Questions
One of the most important parts of any scientific research is finding the right questions to ask. Revisiting which questions are being asked has helped drive the evolution of the Mad River Watch program. Over time, some questions get answered or we realize there is a better way to ask the question in the first place. For example, we’ve learned some key lessons about e. coli, that it increases as you head downstream from Warren to Moretown and that bacterial levels increase after a storm. But we’ve also reached the limits of what periodic grab samples can teach us about the way e coli moves through the watershed. Even though the data being collected might change, the lessons learned can still be valuable to people looking to cool down in the river this summer. Waiting twenty-four to forty-eight hours after a rain storm to go swimming can reduce exposure to potentially harmful bacteria. 

Baseline Monitoring & the La Rosa Partnership
Some questions can’t be answered through direct observation alone and require specialized equipment. This year we rejoined the La Rosa Partnership Program through the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Through this initiative, we will be testing water samples from five sites along the Mad River - Warren Falls, Wabanaki Conservation Area, Meadow Road, Pony Farm Road, and the USGS Gage in Moretown. Specifically, we’ll be looking at chloride, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and how these accumulate from one end of the watershed to the other. Water samples are collected by volunteers and sent to the lab where they are analyzed. The data is returned to Friends of the Mad River and becomes part of a state-wide data set. 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates
In 1972, the Clean Water Act was passed with the goal to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters. The Mad River Watch program takes its cue from these goals in determining which questions to ask. We are trying to understand the health of the whole river system. We want to make sure the water is clean and safe for folks to swim, fish, or paddle in and we are also interested in the way the river supports our more wild neighbors. This summer, we are really excited to be asking about Benthic Macro Invertebrates. These small critters can tell us a lot. They are the foundation of the food chain for brook trout and since some species are more sensitive to water quality than others, the distribution of species we find can act as an indicator. With the support of a summer intern, the Mad River Watch program is assessing existing field sites for their suitability for monitoring benthic macroinvertebrates and hopes to conduct these assessments in future field seasons.