The Angelica Creek Watershed Association (ACWA) employs a varied approach to monitoring the health of Angelica Creek. Each method provides a unique perspective; like a box of puzzle pieces, the full picture of stream health only comes into focus when you link these data together.
One of the more unique monitoring methods employed by ACWA is the Mayfly data logger: a remote, continuous monitoring technology developed by the Stroud Water Research Center that takes measurements every five minutes. Even better, this data can be viewed on any internet browser, from the comfort of your home!
Each morning, David George – an ACWA volunteer – starts his day by checking the readings from Angelica Creek’s three Mayfly stations. But on the morning of September 22, 2024, this ritual revealed something unnerving and out of the ordinary.
The electrical conductivity at the Mayflies installed at Angelica Creek Park was on the rise.
David George, volunteer for the Angelica Creek Watershed Association, testing stream water using an hand-held meter.
A water’s ability to conduct electricity is directly related to the presence of dissolved ions, things like salts and minerals. Streams tend to have a relatively constant range of conductivity so big changes, like a sudden spike, are a red flag.
David and his wife Paula sprang into action to uncover the source of the conductivity spike. Heading upstream, the Georges repeatedly measured the creek’s conductivity and chloride concentrations, which continued to climb before reaching an alarming peak near the Ken Grill Pool, a recreation center in Kenhorst.
Here the Georges recorded their two highest conductivity measurements: a concentration of over 2000 uS/cm at an outflow from the Ken Grill Pool parking lot and a reading of 1,603 uS/cm where Rabbit Run, a tributary, flows into the Angelica Creek (as a reference, the Angelica Creek’s baseline conductivity at Angelica Creek Park is about 420 uS/cm).
But the Georges didn’t stop there. They continued to measure conductivity on both Rabbit Run and the Angelica Creek upstream of Ken Grill Pool. When the conductivity at these upstream sites dropped, the “stream sleuths” felt confident that the source of Angelica’s high conductivity was in the Ken Grill Pool’s vicinity.
Enforcement falls outside of ACWA’s scope, so the Georges contacted the Kenhorst Public Works Manager, who visited Ken Grill Pool and was able to corroborate what the Georges had suspected: chlorinated pool water was being pumped into Angelica Creek.
A review by the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) ensued, using the data collected by the Georges. It was revealed that although Ken Grill uses a sophisticated sand filter system to discharge pool wastewater into the public sewer system, an improperly trained volunteer had broken protocol by using a sump pump to drain the pool’s chlorinated water in preparation for winter. Ken Grill Pool has already taken action to re-educate its volunteers and employees to avoid this contamination in the future.
Case closed.
Meanwhile, ACWA’s salt sleuths remain vigilant, and David is back to his daily ritual of checking the Mayfly data. It may not seem like much, but David has now experienced for himself the value of this small act of environmental stewardship.
“When you spend a lot of time looking at data and doing nothing about it, it’s fun when you can see something, discover the reason for it, and then make sure it doesn’t happen again,” says David.
The Ken Grill Pool incident proves that little acts performed in concert with others can crescendo into a real impact.
There are those who collect data and those who run analyses; others work in enforcement and even more volunteer. And there are some who take 10 minutes each morning to keep an eye on a beloved creek. It takes a team, it takes patience, but the power to affect change persists in little acts of many people.
Lend a Hand to Berks County’s Waterways!
Volunteer-based groups like the Angelica Creek Watershed Association are always looking for new members to help keep our freshwater resources clean, cool, and abundant. It’s easy to join, time commitments are flexible, and there is no experience in science needed!
Visit Berks Nature’s Water page to learn more and find your local watershed association!