Water testing, other BRAT activities

The Black River Action Team may be best known for its annual cleanup of the Black River, but its programs include everything from recycling fishing line to water testing.
http://www.vnews.com/news/townbytown/springfieldvt/13079703-95/water-testing-other-brat-activities

Water Testing, Other BRAT Activities Sunday, August 10, 2014 (Published in print: Sunday, August 10, 2014) Springfield, Vt. — The Black River Action Team may be best known for its annual cleanup of the Black River, but its programs include everything from recycling fishing line to water testing. Initially, Kelly Stettner, the nonprofit’s founder, had been reluctant to get involved with the testing. “There’s more to water quality than pulling out shopping carts,” said Stettner, who worried she lacked the background, and the time to become trained. “It looked a lot more complicated than I wanted to handle.” On her mind for a decade, the importance of water testing was highlighted in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene. Around that time, she heard from a water quality specialist who wanted to help out with BRAT. Bill Manner, who would become her “water quality angel,” had recently moved to Springfield after retiring from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, where he worked in water quality and watershed management. They sat down with several other people to hammer out a plan for water testing. Now, the group samples from 11 sites on the river and two on its tributaries. The testing looks at bacteria levels and physical properties, such as pH, temperature, and turbidity, or water clarity, said Manner, who also serves on board of supervisors of the Ottauquechee Natural Resources Conservation District. It also measures phosphates and nitrates, nutrients that can lead to algae blooms. The information provided by BRAT and other groups across Vermont helps the state assess stream health, detect possible sources of contamination and plan mitigation projects. “As with every government agency, there are budget cuts,” Manner said. “We are helping to support their efforts.” The testing will also help them establish baseline information about the river’s health and identify spills and other incidents that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. Testing conducted in Great Brook in 2012 led to the discovery of fuel in the water. They were able to trace it to a property owner upstream who didn’t realize an underground tank was leaking, and the landowner promptly took care of it, Stettner said. The water quality in the Black River is “quite good,” Manner said. “We see giant leaps in our bacteria levels and nitrates and phosphates whenever there is a major rain event, which is to be expected,” but the markers return to healthy levels soon afterward. BRAT’s “Adopt a Swimming Hole” program monitors bacteria levels at two swimming holes, one in Proctorsville, the other in Ludlow. Storms can wash animal waste, sediment and other contaminants into the water, causing E. coli levels to rise, Stettner said. The results, posted online, can help people decide where to swim. In addition to the water testing program, BRAT has a nursery in Ludlow where it grows plants for bank stabilization projects, and its fishing line recycling effort works to prevent stray pieces of line from getting tangled in motors or around the beaks and feet of waterfowl. Stettner is also working on an invasive plant strategy that includes encouraging local businesses to replace invasive landscape plants with native species. She recently started offering “weed walks” to help people identify invasives on their property and provide ideas for replacing them with native plants. When she runs into unfamiliar plants, she takes a picture and researches the new item. “The more I learn, the more I need to learn,” she said. She hopes the work will help slowly change the market, decreasing the demand for invasives. BRAT’s work also includes other education and outreach programs. “We’re always looking to remind people that all water … ends up in the river,” she said. .