by Linda Grinalds
When my fellow volunteer naturalists invited me to join them on their SQM (stream quality management) Team, I was reluctant, to say the least. Why would I want to wade around in a river without the thrill of swimming, kayaking or fishing? It seemed to me that nothing could be duller than something called “stream quality management.” It sounded like a pessimistic endeavor for a dour environmentalist whose glass is perpetually half-full. I pictured a bunch of stoic scientists filling tests tubes to prove that in fact all the rivers and our very lives are irreparably overcome with pollution and despair. But the reality of what I encountered that day at the Little Miami National Scenic River couldn’t have been more inspiring. And surprising!
Back in the parking lot we donned our waders and sported our crisp new ODNR sun visors, an unexpected token of appreciation for our volunteer citizen service. Filling our pockets with the essentials (phones and keys), we trundled along the shore line to an optimal flow location. Having reached an eddy-free stretch in the river where the movement was steady and the depth just below the knee, we deposited our equipment. And it wasn’t much: a sediment stick (a.k.a. a clear plastic measuring tube), a seine net, a plastic mat/sheet and an ice cube try. Very straight forward.
As the sun rippled across the water and the gentle current flowed past our legs, we slowly moved out into the stream. Our first task was to check the river for clarity and turbidity using the sediment stick. An accurate reading allows us to monitor the suspended solids that influence stream light and temperature, reflect habitat health and effect aquatic organism viability. All of this is rendered from a simple measuring tube filled with rushing water. This five-minute measurement was the closest we came to behaving like mad scientists. The rest of the two-hour excursion was a relaxing exploration of some of nature’s hidden
wonders.
By catching micro-organisms in the seine net, we encountered the unsung heroes of the river bed. One person kicked up the sediment from the riverbed surface while the other steadily held the net positioned downstream to catch any loosened aquatic organisms which might be lurking below the surface such as macroinvertebrates, unionid mollusks, fish or various amphibians. Under the direction of our competent monitoring coordinator, Rebecca Parry, we somehow managed to execute this counter current maneuver without going belly up and floating downstream.
To our great delight, there is a whole army of vitality slithering between the rocks and clinging to their undersides. By lifting rocks and agitating their surfaces, a variety of living creatures were released into the surrounding waters. After trapping this uncertain swirl of aquatic debris into our nets, we emptied our catch onto the plastic sheet which we had draped over an exposed, level stretch of shoreline. And that’s where the fun began. Erupting from strains of vegetation and unsavory sludge, a world of movement danced before our eyes: nymphs everywhere! Dragonfly nymphs, mayfly nymphs, and stonefly nymphs! Like pouring over jigsaw puzzle pieces, we examined the moving muck.
By sorting the different creatures into the ice cube tray compartments, we were able to identify and track the prevalence of different stream macroinvertebrates. My two favorite discoveries were the water penny larva (who knew there was such a thing?) and the gilled snail. Because they are sensitive to pollution, their presence indicates positive water quality. Yeah!
After recording our data onto a simple one-page log sheet, we rinsed off our equipment and waded back to the parking lot. Feeling like kids on a carefree summer day, each of us counted it a great privilege to have been able to peek beneath the surface of one of Ohio’s greatest natural resources: The Little Miami National Scenic River. Encouraged by the health of our river and empowered by this small act of stewardship, we returned home optimistic and invigorated.
June 2019
In 2008, my bike favorite ride was from Morrow to Corwin. Once in Corwin I went straight to the Corwin Peddler to sit on the porch and watch the world go by.
Friends of the Little Miami State Park recently initiated a trail sentinel program, enlisting volunteers to monitor trail safety conditions and provide selective assistance to trail users. This program, the brainchild of Don Hahn (thanks, Don!), now includes 10 sentinels—that’s 20 eyes, 20 ears, 10 voices and 20 hands—devoted to trail safety, a significant commitment. And yet, there’s no way that these 10 sentries can completely cover over 50 miles of trail 7 days-a-week. That’s where you come in.
