Texas Stream Team

 
MCC’s sustainability committee participates in a statewide citizen science program called Texas Stream Team. Texas has approximately 191,000 miles of waterways, which is an incredible challenge for the state environmental regulatory agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), to monitor. Citizen Science programs around the globe are designed to allow non-scientists to contribute to scientific research in a widespread and meaningful manner. MCC’s participation in Texas Stream Team allows the state to conduct water quality sampling across Texas at a broader scale than would be possible without these citizen volunteers. Texas Stream Team uses the data that is collected for research, education, identifying pollution problems, and helping local entities with decision-making.

Volunteers involved with Texas Stream Team are trained and certified to conduct various water quality measurements using a standardized monitoring kit. Volunteers measure both physical and chemical parameters of the water, including pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity (an indirect measurement of total dissolved solids), water clarity, temperature, presence of aquatic life, and other field observations. Volunteers monitor their site once every month at approximately the same time to minimize variations in data due to daily physical and chemical fluctuations in the water.

Once a month, one of MCC’s sustainability committee members tests water in the Bosque river at MCC’s boat ramp. This data is submitted to Texas Stream Team to help water officials have a broader array of data for management and decision making. Students in environmental science labs have the opportunity to watch this process and learn about Texas Stream Team. Want to learn more about Texas Stream Team or learn how to become a Stream Team citizen scientist? Check out Texas Stream Team’s website to learn more.