HooRWA has been monitoring water quality since 1996. Under the direction of our first Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator, Dick Schlesinger, staff and volunteers took water samples at up to 20 locations on the Hoosic’s branches or mainstem, several times a year. These were analyzed (in our lab or in state-certified labs) for bacteria, common pollutants, and suspended solids.

In addition, we tracked temperature and oxygen levels, which are important indicators of habitat quality for trout.

Our current Monitoring Coordinator, Kelly Nolan, emphasizes sampling the population of benthic macroinvertebrates, the aquatic insects and other invertebrates that live on stream bottoms. If highly pollution-sensitive species are present, that gives some assurance that the water is generally clean most of the time. (More about Benthic Macroinvertebrates)

HooRWA is also in the process of assessing the watershed as a whole in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York by examining existing data on land use, pollution sources, and other critical factors. This information will help us identify those parts of the river that most need to be monitored.