Pearl Goes Water Sampling

To kick off the season of field work, Pearl set out to collect samples from the headwaters of the Missisquoi River. Pearl is sampling 18 sites across Enosburg, Westfield, North Troy, and Newport. She is testing for nitrogen, phosphorus, and chloride levels in the river.

This water sampling is a part of the LaRosa Partnership Program through the state of Vermont. This program collects valuable data that may aid in the determination of specific problem areas on which to focus restoration efforts, and of whether past restoration efforts are working. Missisquoi River Basin Association has been participating in this program since 2005 and has collected thousands of samples across 50+ sites. The LaRosa program is run throughout Vermont with dozens of partner organizations collecting samples across the states waterways.

There are many reasons why MRBA chooses to collect water samples and participate in the LaRosa Partnership Program.

• Missisquoi Bay contributes over 200 metric tons per year of non-point source phosphorous to Lake Champlain.

• Sampling will help track progress as we implement changes across our landscape aimed at curbing non-point source pollution. Individual projects to address localized erosion, agricultural runoff, and stormwater are small fractions of a very large whole.

• Sampling can give a “big picture” to measure the cumulative success of our efforts.

• Sampling results inform decisions about where to direct efforts.

  
  

While sampling, Pearl has come across beaver activity, knotweed, chilly waters, picturesque rivers, and tree planters. This is just the beginning! The sampling season starts at the end of April and ends in August. Water sampling is not always as easy as walking into the river and collecting samples. Some days are hot with the blistering sun beating down on you and other are cold and rainy. Sometimes it requires climbing over fences and scaling down river banks to collect. One thing is certain, Pearl will be out and about in the watershed collecting samples, jumping in the water, running through fields, and eating grass.

Follow along on our instagram @mrbavt to see Pearl's water sampling journey.