For the salmon study, Federal Way needed different readings and equipment. “At four other sites in the city we upgraded to a YSI 6920 sonde, which includes the same parameters as the 600XL, but additionally monitors turbidity,” Smith explains. “We are also implementing a rigorous monthly field calibration of YSI equipment to comply with Washington’s Department of Ecology Quality Assurance requirements.”In addition to measuring more parameters (open-channel flow, nitrate-nitrogen, rhodamine, chlorophyll, ammonium-nitrogen, ammonia, turbidity, chloride), the YSI 6920 sonde also has a large memory capacity, with the ability to store 150,000 readings. Its power supply, eight AA alkaline cells, should last 25 to 30 days while taking 15-minute sampling intervals at 25°C. Its turbidity sensor, which is not affected by variations in ambient light, has a self-cleaning feature. For other applications, a self-cleaning chlorophyll sensor may be installed instead of the turbidity sensor. With appropriate add-ons, the YSI 6920 also has the capability to transmit data via radio, phone, or satellite. Smith physically goes to the sites to retrieve the data. “We have a YSI 650 MDS handheld unit that connects by cable to the 6920 and we download the data. The automated samplers give us a continuous record of water quality in our streams that we can track over time–rather than basing assumptions on a few grab samples that might give us just a ‘snapshot’ of conditions. Our program includes monthly laboratory and field calibration; we’re collecting lots of documentation of instrument performance.” With all this automatic collection, are there instances when they’ll still send people out with hand-held samplers? “We have other YSI handheld equipment, and we may have to do the old ‘jar on a string’ sample in stormwater sewers or streams, and then take that to the lab for analysis,” Smith says.“In the field, we also use Hach colormetric handhelds, which contain a reagent kit, with different chemicals for testing,” he explains. “When you add different chemicals to a sample of water, you’ll compare the intensity of the color change to the kit’s chart, which will tell you what contaminant is in the water. We loan these kits out to our Stream Team volunteers, who test water in eight different locations. We track the measurements they take, as well as our own.“We also have an ongoing monitoring program for metals, pesticides, and nutrient levels. We need to educate citizens about nonpoint-pollution sources; lawn fertilizers can get into waters and cause problems, and people shouldn’t wash their cars and let that dirty water run off into storm sewers, as the detergents contain phosphorous. We do monitor for those, but we can’t be the ‘car wash police,'” he concludes.Collection for Compliance