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5/21/2018  |   3:00 PM - 3:15 PM   |  CITIZEN SCIENCE AND SWIMMABILITY: INCORPORATING COMMUNITY MEASURES INTO RECREATIONAL WATER QUALITY CRITERIA   |  320

CITIZEN SCIENCE AND SWIMMABILITY: INCORPORATING COMMUNITY MEASURES INTO RECREATIONAL WATER QUALITY CRITERIA

People value freshwater and coastal beaches for a range of recreational activities; swimming, boating, and gathering shellfish, as well as providing a place for community interaction and connection with the environment. Because waterways are susceptible to fecal contamination and associated microbial pathogens, there is considerable effort expended to measure microbial water quality at recreational sites. However, individuals intuitively judge recreational water quality using a range of other characteristics not found in traditional environmental monitoring. For example, flow, temperature, clarity, rubbish, nuisance plant growth, and toxic algae are strongly related to public perception of water quality. The goal of this study is to look at the role of community-based initiatives in assessing swimming suitability. Volunteers measured water quality attributes (visual clarity, E. coli, periphyton, rubbish) weekly over the summer bathing period at a popular swimming river in Wellington (NZ). Observations were collected concurrently by scientists to facilitate side-by-side data comparisons. This information is being used to develop indices for reporting water quality suitability attributes. Here we show how members of the local community can generate their own information on water safety and contribute to a wider discussion on swimmability and health.

  • Bioindicators
  • Assessment
  • Monitoring

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Presenters/Authors

Amanda Valois (), NIWA, amanda.valois@niwa.co.nz;


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Juliet Milne (), NIWA, juliet.milne@niwa.nz;


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Rebecca Stott (), NIWA, rebecca.stott@niwa.nz;


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Rob Davies-Colley (), National Institute of Water and Atmopsheric Research, rob.davies-colley@niwa.co.nz;


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