Students of varying ages are involved in this study that includes testing the river once a month to compile data for analysis of water quality. As many as 12 tests are conducted including sampling for water hardness, turbidity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and macroinvertebrate diversity. Stream monitoring, such as that of the Doe River, is important to maintain the health of our rivers and creeks. Any deviation of yearly chemical testing or the absence of usual stream inhabitants often indicates that some sort of pollution is entering the water. Illegal dumping or spillage into a stream can be stopped and water quality maintained.
Clean streams mean healthier animal populations, including humans living in the city.
Results of tests taken at Roan Mountain have shown that the Doe River is healthy, particularly within the park boundaries. The river supports trout populations that cannot survive in polluted, oxygen deficient water. According to Barrigar, data has varied little during the years of the study. Occasionally, bacteria from a community upstream are detected. After the water is filtered through the lush vegetation of Roan Mountain State Park, however, bacteria levels are much less.