Estuary Water Quality Monitoring
The lagoon that forms in the Mattole estuary each year is shallow in many places and heats up to unsafe temperatures for fish throughout the summer. The MSG monitors the temperature and water quality during this time using state-of-the-art monitoring equipment.
Large, multi-parameter datasondes are placed in a few main monitoring locations. These datasondes record water temperature, pH, and conductivity (used to monitor salinity and particulate matter) every hour. This information creates a picture of how the lagoon conditions change throughout the day, and throughout the season. Periodically throughout the monitoring season a hand-held water quality sensor (pictured below) is used to test multiple areas around the estuary to compare to the datasonde monitoring stations. This information is paired with observations from underwater fish surveys, which show how water quality in the lagoon affects the fish residing there throughout the dry season. This information is used to guide habitat restoration planning.
Did You Know?
Low water flow in the summer causes the ocean waves to create a large sand bar at the mouth of the river, which completely closes off the river from the ocean. The salmon that do not make it out to the ocean before the sand bar forms must remain there until the first rains of fall.
Estuary Monitoring Reports
Estuary WQ Report 2006
Estuary WQ Report 2007
