Fwd: CWQT Week 1--results

[Rob Buchanan]

Hard to believe we're embarking on our tenth season of water testing! How has the program grown, you may ask. And has the water gotten any cleaner? See the two graphs below for a quick recap, and let us know if you'd like to see the complete dataset. Meanwhile we're off to a good start this year, thanks to a virtually rainless week. Click here to view week one results. 

Annual samples taken (all good until the pandemic)

Annual results vs. average weekly rainfall (more than .8 inches seems to be a problem)

Weekly News Update:

Environmental justice alert: Sewage Crisis Hits Mt. Vernon

Newtown Creek Nature Walk: It only took 23 years

Port of New York: New container ship record

Antarctica: New iceberg record 

Action Agenda:

The draft NYC Comprehensive Waterfront Plan is out, two opportunities to comment next week. 

Wanna start your own water testing program? The EPA is ready to help.  

Weekly Slide Show:

Sampler of the week (or maybe the season): Sanjay Shirke, a CWQT volunteer from Manhattan, ran over Williamsburg and Pulaski bridges to collect a water sample at Gantry State Park, ran back to the lab in Williamsburg to deliver it, and then ran home. 

Heather Davidson collected two samples at Gansevoort Peninsula in Hudson River Park, one to test for bacteria and the other for pharmaceuticals--part of a new testing program at John Jay College (more on that next week).

South Williamsburg: Does dumping truckloads of bread in the East River count as pollution? 

7th grade science: monitoring oyster growth at the Williamsburgh Yacht Club on Flushing Bay

Happy hour at Domino Park 

Harbor geography quiz: can you name the waterway?

Species ID quiz: What is it? Plant or animal?

Thanks from the Williamsburg Field Station lab team and see you next week! 

The Citizens Water Quality Testing Program (CWQT) is a collaboration between the New York City Water Trail Association, the Billion Oyster Project, and Hudson River Park's River Project, with support from Two Trees Management. Other partners this year include the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River, SUNY Maritime's Marine Environmental Science program, the Bronx River Alliance, Queens College, Newtown Creek Alliance, the Interstate Environmental Commission, and the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership.

For more information, to volunteer, or to unsubscribe, email us at water-...@nycwatertrail.org.