Watershed Wednesday: Monitoring on the Upper East Gallatin
Happy #WatershedWednesday! It is field season, and we have been busy! We are headed out to see what our restoration sites look like when they are full of water. And who knows what the snow will uncover? Recently, Restoration Director Lilly McLane spent some time in the field installing groundwater monitoring wells at a project site on the Upper East Gallatin River to collect data during spring run-off.
On a sunshine filled day, DEQ came down for a visit to install sediment traps and groundwater monitoring wells at one of GWC’s restoration sites along the East Gallatin River. Data collected from this site will be used to help quantify the reduction in nutrient and sediment loading achieved by floodplain and wetland restorations in Montana. Data collected this year will represent before-restoration, and the next couple years will show after-restoration.
Groundwater monitoring wells can be used to measure the level, quality, quantity, or movement of subsurface water. These wells were installed by hand to about 6 feet deep. The bottom half of the PVC pipe is perforated and encased in what looks like industrial grade pantyhose, keeping sediment out and allowing water in. The holes around the wells are then backfilled with soil, and the top 6 inches are filled with bentonite clay to seal out surface water. Before samples are taken, the wells are first pumped dry, then allowed to refill, to make sure we are getting an accurate measure of groundwater quality.
Sediment traps measure the rate of sediment deposited by water flowing through a system. They are 4x4 inch plexiglass plates bolted to the soil surface with a long threaded rod. Four plates were installed around each groundwater monitoring well. Samples are taken by cutting around the edge of the plate, and scraping the accumulated material into a bag with a spatula. One mud-pie, coming right up!
The water quality in the East Gallatin is not what it needs to be to support a healthy trout population: water temperatures are too high, water levels too low, excess nitrogen and phosphorus are causing algal blooms, and sediment is layering the river bottom. Our hope is that the data collected by DEQ will show exactly how much restorations like this can help. It is exciting to finally get outside and start on-the-ground work that has been planned during the cold, winter months, and to be part of advancing science!
