NWG at MSL: Streamwater Sampling
In addition to calculating nitrogen outputs at MSL, during the summer of 2023 the NWG commenced a project to calculate the amount of nitrogen and other water quality measurements in Morven’s surface waters. The goal of this project is to assess how agricultural practices at MSL affect its waters. The team has conducted sampling quarterly since summer 2023, and continues to receive productive sample analyses by the Shenandoah Watershed Study team (SWAS). As of last year, sampling is conducted at 18 different sites on Morven’s streams. Four of these are considered to be “upstream”, while the other 12 are considered “downstream” sites. This distinction is derived from the location of the sites in relation to agriculture at Morven. Sites “upstream” from agriculture are likely to have starkly different nitrogen values than the “downstream” ones because many agricultural fertilizers contain nitrogen that tend to mobilize into surface water, and therefore they’ve been distinctly designated so changes can be tracked.
This project is slated to continue quarterly over the foreseeable future, with continued research developments possible involving ArcGIS watershed delineation, and stream discharge measurements. The NWG’s Morven Team looks forward to continuing to track and assess the contents of Morven’s water for the benefit of stream health at MSL and in the surrounding community.
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For more information, contact footprint team lead Owen Shaffer at ojs7cf@virginia.edu