Step 1: Collect water samples from streams and estuaries.

Our project focused on the estuary water quality, because that's where the closed clam flats were. Previous research at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve had indicated the sources of the contamination were the freshwater tributaries, so we distributed sample sites throughout the watershed. Our volunteers collected half of the samples in post-precipitation or snow melt conditions, when bacterial levels tend to be much higher. The other half were pre-scheduled independently of weather. In the Webhannet watershed, volunteers went out about every two weeks, and in the Merriland/Branch/Little River (MBLR) watershed, we sampled about every week. See a map of our Webhannet sites and our MBLR sites.

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