Volunteer with the NU Lake Water Quality Extension Program
Introduction
The University of Nebraska-Lake Water Quality Extension Program is designed to help the lake owners, users, and managers of Nebraska properly address water quality issues and make the necessary improvements to maintain and/or improve water quality. In an effort to increase citizen awareness and provide a better understanding of complex water quality related issues such as algal control, algal toxin production, nutrient management, etc. a free of charge volunteer monitoring lake sample test kit is available.
Upon contacting UNL, volunteers will be sent a lake sample test kit complete with informational water quality materials, easy to follow water sampling instructions and two specially cleaned bottles. One bottle is used to collect an algae sample from the area of the lake in question, the other bottle is used to collect a whole water sample. The samples are then shipped to UNL for microscopic analysis, at which point the abundance and type of algae present in the sample are determined. Within a few days after samples arrive in the lab, UNL will notify the volunteer of the microscopic algae results which allows participants to make informed decisions on whether or not to conduct further laboratory analyses. If desired by the lake owner, the whole water sample can then be used for algal toxin or nutrient analysis.
Most volunteers use the test kit as a screening tool to test for toxic algae within their lake; others use it for establishing baseline or trend data associated with their lake. Most find participation in the program to be a very educational experience as it equips lake owners, users and managers with useable data and provides a point of contact for future lake water quality issues.
Contact
If interested in enrolling in the volunteer monitoring program please contact:
Tadd Barrow
School of Natural Resources
516 Hardin Hall
3310 Holdrege Street
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska 68583-0995
Phone 402-472-7783
Fax 402-472-2946
