National Park Service staff monitor water quality across rivers and streams in five national parks in Washington State, gathering long-term data to track ecosystem health. Using submerged data loggers, they measure variables like temperature, turbidity, pH, and dissolved oxygen—key indicators that reveal both daily conditions and long-term trends affecting aquatic life, such as bull trout and the threatened Lake Ozette sockeye salmon. The Ozette River, though seemingly pristine, faces stress from historic logging, habitat simplification, warming temperatures, and invasive species like Asiatic clams. Still, recent data shows overall healthy conditions, underscoring the value of sustained monitoring to detect changes, inform conservation efforts, and protect ecosystems vital to both biodiversity and cultural heritage.
Read the full article here: Reading the Rivers: Water Quality Monitoring in the Pacific Northwest (U.S. National Park Service)