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The Motivation
Unconventional shale gas wells are
created using hydraulic fracturing
methods, or fracking, and have been
associated with aquatic resource
impacts ranging from sedimentation due
to road and pipeline construction, flow
impairments from water withdrawals,
and water quality issues related to
transportation and disposal of chemicals
and effluents. The volunteers provide an
extra set of eyes to help state agencies
and industry minimize potential impacts
to coldwater streams and their fisheries.
Backed by Science
Trout Unlimiteds Science Program has
identified priority watersheds for
monitoring using its GIS tool, the
Conservation Success Index. These
locations, shared as web-enabled maps,
help focus water quality monitoring to
the critical coldwater habitats and brook
trout streams where impacts are most
likely, both now and in the future.
Successes
In Pennsylvania: 201 active sites on 160 streams, 100 active volunteers, and over
4,300 sampling trips since 2010
In West Virginia and Virginia: 136 active sites on 118 streams, 64 active
volunteers, over 600 sampling trips since 2013.
Several pollution events identified, reported, and remedied
Increased awareness of stream baseline condition, water quality parameters,
and sources of pollution.
Connections created between volunteers and their home waters
Opportunities
Pilot program of volunteer-managed data
loggers motivated by:
Rarity of pollution events. Data
loggers offer the opportunity to
complement ongoing efforts by
monitoring continuously, increasing
the odds of catching infrequent
pollution events, but require some
technical expertise and more
expensive equipment
Logistics. Many of the best coldwater
resources are in remote locations and
present logistical challenges to regular
monitoring; to date most of the
monitoring effort occurs close to
volunteers homes.
Jake Lemon
Kurt Fesenmyer
Eastern Shale Gas
Conservation Planner
Monitoring Coordinator kfesenmyer@tu.org
jlemon@tu.org