Educators also use citizen data to teach students about ecology and land use. Currently, citizen data has limited use by state water quality agencies. However, in the future, the use of citizen data will be expanded. Some citizen data will be used to assess the quality of waters that are not currently monitored by state agencies. Most importantly, citizen data can be used to enhance studies on impaired streams to determine the source of impairment.
Citizens perform all sorts of stream monitoring activities.
The sophistication of the monitoring activities depends upon the intended use of the data. Most of the citizen monitors combine physical surveys with one or both of the other types of monitoring to gain a better understanding of water quality problems in their backyard and the sources of these problems. Chemical monitoring by citizen groups includes measuring parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH. This type of monitoring gives a snapshot in time of the health of the surface water. Most sampling by citizens is performed using field test kits. However, some citizen groups have the knowledge and resources to collect samples such as nutrients and fecal coliform and use more complicated field tests, equipment, or laboratories to evaluate these samples.