Water Quality Sampling Equipment

Kick net

3-foot square, fine mesh screen with a weighted bottom edge and securely attached to two 2-inch x 6-foot dowel poles.

surber sampler

A tool used for collecting invertebrates in waters less than 1-foot depth

D-net

A tool used to collect aquatic invertebrates in moving water

sieve

Consists of a square or circular metal or wooden frame with a screen or mesh bottom. Sieves come in different screen sizes to sort different particle sizes.

attached algae sampler

Consists of a clean glass or plastic rectangular microscope slide (25 mm x 75 mm x 1 mm).

eckman dredge

Consists of a square brass box attached to a rope with flap-like doors at the top and two jaws at the bottom. They come in a 6-inch size for streams and 9- and 12-inch sizes for lakes. The upper doors open when the device is lowered into water. The jaws are kept open by chains which are attached to a triggering mechanism. The jaws spring shut when the triggering mechanism is struck by a heavy metal weight which travels down the rope.

Birge plankton net

Consists of a canvas reinforced cone-shaped nylon net with a canvas cone at one end and a brass "bucket" at the opposite end. The detachable bucket is made of telescope· tubing with pieces cut from the sides to form fourscreened windows for water to escape.

D-net

Consists of a canvas reinforced nylon net on a D-shaped wire frame attached by a metal clamp to a 3-4 foot wooden or metal handle.

Meyer Water Sampler

Consists of a stoppered clear glass container with a weighted bottom. A rubber stopper with an eyebolt through it is attached to a rope, which is attached to a handle on the jug. The rope is marked in 1-foot increments. (Kemmerer and Van Dorn samplers [not pictured] are also used to collect water samples.)

Secchi Disk

Consists of a weighted circular plate 8 inches in diameter with opposing black and white quarters painted on the surface. It is attached to a rope or chain which has been calibrated in 1-foot increments. When held by the rope, the disk should hang horizontally.

barbeque sampler

Consists of an 11-inch long x 7-inch wide cylindrical chrome plated basket filled with 1 to 2 inch diameter rocks. A quarter section of the circular side is hinged and may be opened along its entire length for easy placement or removal of rocks. A wire cable is passed through the longitudinal axis of the sampler and secured at the lower end by a cable clamp.

multi-plate sampler

Consists of tempered masonite cut into eight 3-inch squares or circles, separated by seven 1-inch squares or circles, and held in place by a bolt or threaded rod. A rope or cable is attached to the top. The sampler exposes slightly more than 1-square foot of surface area to which organisms can attach.

serber sampler

Consists of two 1-foot x 1-foot square metal frames hinged together at a right angle with "L" braces so they can be folded flat. A 26-inch long canvas reinforced fiberglass net is attached to one frame.

Whirl-pac

For collecting shallow-water samples (particularly useful for collecting bacteriological samples since the unopened tool is sterile)

Place the net firmly on the stream bottom making sure the net is flowing downstream. Have a second person stand upstream of the net and scrub rocks and stones and/or dig into the stream bottom in front of the net. The invertebrates will be swept into the net by the flowing water. To remove, use a scooping motion to lift up the net and carry it to shore. Deposit the contents of the net into a sampling pan or jar. Be sure to check the net for movement. Remove any attached organisms with forceps and place into a sampling pan or jar.

How should a d-net be used?

Normally the net is dragged by a rope behind a boat in the open water of a lake. The net can also be rigged to a pole and drawn back and forth by someone standing on the shore orin shallow water. In a stream, the net can be held in one place with the current flowing through it. To retrieve the sample, remove the bucket and empty the contents into a sampling jar. Then rinse the bucket over the sampling jar to flush out any remaining organisms. To achieve a semi-quantitative sample in still waters, multiply the distance you towed the net by the area of the mouth of the net. This will give you the volume of water which passed through the net. If you are standing still, use the flow rate multiplied by the time, to calculate the volume of water which passed through the net. Then count the organisms collected. The sample will be expressed in organisms per unit volume.

How should birge plankton nets be used?

Slowly lower the disk into the water on the shaded side of the boat until it disappears and note that depth on the calibrated line. Make sure the rope is vertical in the water and taut. Then slowly raise the disk until you can see it. Note that depth. To get the depth of clarity. take an average of these two readings. It is important that these readings be taken the same way each time so there is a consistent basis for comparison. Always take secchi readings from the downwind side of a boat, without wearing sunglasses, and with the sun at your back, preferably between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

How should secchi disks be used?

secchi disk

This water quality sampling tool is used for measuring the turbidity or clarity of water.

meyer water sampler

This water quality sampling tool is used to collect a water sample at a desired length

water test kit

Used for testing water quality parameters such as nitrates, dissolved oxygen, pH, total and calcium hardness, nitrites, ammonia, iron, manganese, chloride, and phosphates

Does not work well in shallow water or waters with a strong current because the bottle is pushed downstream and gives you a false depth reading. Also samples can be contaminated with water from other depths when you retrieve the sample. (Kemmerer and Van Dorn samplers snap shut to collect the sample, which eliminates the contamination problem.)

What are the limitations of a meyer water sampler?

Cannot be used in areas with heavy recreational use. Unattended sampling devices can be moved, stolen, or vandalized.

What are the limitations of using a barbeque basket?

Plankton nets sample only a portion of the plankton present because many are too small to be caught in a net Cannot be used in shallow water. Also the net can get clogged with silt if the stream bottom is stirred up or the water is muddy.

What are the limitations of using a birge plankton net?

Cannot be used in waters without a current or over two feet.

What are the limitations of using a kick net?

Cannot be used in waters with strong currents because they will push the disk downstream and give you a false reading. Also cannot be used in shallow waters.

What are the limitations of using a secchi disk?

Finer mesh sieves usually don't work as well because they get clogged with sediments.

What are the limitations of using a sieve?

Cannot be used in waters without a current or one foot deep.

What are the limitations of using a surber sampler?

Must be used where the person sampling can easily reach into the water. Samples can only be collected from surface waters less than 3 feetdeep.

What are the limitations of using a water testing kit?

Cannot be used in areas with heavy recreational use. Unattended sampling devices can be moved, stolen, or vandalized.

What are the limitations of using an attached algae sampler?

Cannot be used in rocky or gravelly stream or lake bottoms.

What are the limitations of using eckman dredges?

slow moving stream or lake

What is the best place to use an attached algae sampler?

Basket samplers are installed by suspending the wire cable from a stationary structure (for example, a stake) to a specific water depth. They also can be laid on the stream bottom and anchored by a stake on shore or a large rock in the stream. They are usually left in place 3 to 6weeks. To collect the organisms, slowly raise the sampler from the water and place a dip net under the basket to catch any loose organisms. Then place the sampler into a bucket or tub, open it, and empty out the rocks. The sampler should be rinsed in the bucket to remove any clinging organisms. Each rock should be cleaned with a stiff- bristled brush. The clean rocks can be returned to the sampler. The sample can then be concentrated using a sieve and stored in a sampling jar. If you plan to store the sample, replace the water with a 70% ethanol preservative.

What is the best way to use a barbeque basket?

Select a riffle area in a stream and place the kick net at the downstream edge, being sure that the bottom of the net sits securely on the stream bottom to prevent insects from escaping. Hold the poles at a 135 degree angle to the water surface, trying not to allow any water from flowing over the net's top edge. Disturb the substrate with hands and feet upstream and within three feet of the net to dislodge organisms. The invertebrates will be swept into the net by the flowing water. After a designated time period, carefully lift the net off the bottom with a forward scooping motion to prevent sample from washing off of the screen and carry net to shore. Remove any attached organisms with forceps and place into a sampling pan or jar. Be sure to check the net carefully for movement.

What is the best way to use a kick net?

Lower the bottle gently to the desired depth (see marking on rope), making sure the rubber stopper is securely in place. When the desired depth is reached, a sharp tug on the line will pop the stopper from the bottle. The bottle will then be suspended from the line secured to its handle and fill with water from that depth. Wait a couple of minutes and gently pull the bottle up by the line. Empty the contents into a clean sampling jar and store in an ice- filled cooler until you can perform water quality tests. Do not store more than 24 hours. (Kemmerer and Van Dorn samplers are operated the same way except they are lowered open and are closed by tripping a messenger.)

What is the best way to use a meyer water sampler?

To clean and separate organisms in an aquatic field collection, any size of screen will work, but finer screens trap silt and sand. Then using forceps, lift the organisms off the screen and place in a sampling pan or jar.

What is the best way to use a sieve?

Locate a section of a stream that is less than 1-foot deep and has rocks mostly ranging from about 1-3 inches in diameter. Wade into the stream and orient yourself so that you are facing upstream. Approach the area from downstream. Don't walk through the area to be sampled! Unfold the sampler and lower it in front of you, making sure the net is flowing downstream. Secure the sampler into place by "wiggling it" in between the rocks. To secure it further, place your foot on one corner of the bottom frame. To collect the sample, reach into the frame and, using a rock or heavy stick stir up the bottom to a depth of 4 to 6 inches allowing the organisms and debris to concentrate in the net. Take each rock and rub it gently with your fingers to remove any clinging organisms. When finished, close off the net with your hand and remove the sampler from the stream. Empty the contents of the net into a sampling pan or jar. Check the net carefully for movement. Remove any additional organisms from the net with forceps and place into the sampling pan orjar.

What is the best way to use a surber sampler?

Holding the wire rein- forced opening of the bag between your forefinger and thumb, plunge the bag into the water making sure the opening is facing upstream if there is a current. Then squeeze the top to open and using a scooping motion, fill the bag with water. To close the bag, hold each side of the wire opening with one hand, twirl the bag around the wire, and twist the ends of the wire together. Store the samples upright in an ice- filled cooler. Do not store more than 24 hours.

What is the best way to use a water test kit?

To use microscope slides for collecting attached algae, place the slide in a relatively clear, shallow waterway, flat on the bottom. You can also use waterproof adhesive to attach the slides to a flat rock or brick. In waters with heavy silt, the slides need to be oriented vertically. Use some sort of stake or float as a marker so you can find the slides when you return 2 to 4 weeks later. When transporting the slides, be sure they are not allowed to dry out. Store them in a bucket or jar filled with water from the stream in an ice-filled cooler. Do not store more than 24 hours.

What is the best way to use an attached algae sampler?

Holding the messenger weight in one hand and the attached line in the other hand, slowly lower the dredge into the water until it just reaches the bottom. Then raise it a foot or so above the bottom and drop the dredge straight into the bottom material. In ideal conditions, the dredge will be nearly buried in sediments. To retrieve, pull the rope taut and drop the messenger weight to close the jaws. Care must be taken when pulling the dredge up and removing it from the water to avoid spillage. The contents are released by pulling back the jaws and reattaching them to the triggering mechanism. The dredge contents should be emptied directly into a sieve (or into a wide-mouth plastic 1-gallon jar for storage). To collect the organisms, place the sample into a sieve and use a hose or bucket of water to wash away the sediment Use forceps to remove the organisms remaining in the sieve and store them in a sampling pan or jar.

What is the best way to use an eckman dredge?

streams or reservoirs with a strong current

Where should a d-net be used?

lakes, ponds, and streams

Where should barbeque baskets be used?

lakes, ponds, and streams

Where should birge plankton nets be used?

Lakes, ponds, and streams with soft muddy bottoms

Where should eckman dredges be used?

streams

Where should kick nets be used?

Lakes and deep streams

Where should meyer water samplers be used?

lakes and ponds

Where should secchi disks be used?

streams and lakes

Where should sieves be used?

Streams

Where should surber samplers be used?

streams, shallow lakes, and shallow ponds

Where should water test kits be used?

Multi Plate Sampler (Hester-Dendy)

a tool for collecting a representative sample of invertebrates by providing a suitable surface for them to colonize

barbeque basket

a tool for collecting a representative sample of invertebrates by providing a suitable surface to colonize

attached algae sampler

a tool used as an artificial substrate in streams to college attached algae

sieve

a tool used for cleaning and separating organisms in an aquatic field collection. Can also be used for sorting particle size of substrate and collecting and burrowing aquatic organisms found in soft bottom sediments

Kick net

a tool used for collecting aquatic invertebrates in moving water

backpack fish shocker

a tool used for fish sampling that consists of a portable generator that produces an alternating electric current between two electrodes (paddles); usually attached to backpack frame

eckman dredge

a tool used for sampling invertebrates in bottom mud

water test kit

consists of a small sterile plastic bag with a wire reinforced opening

birge plankton net

used to collect plankton

lakes, ponds, streams

where should backpack fish shockers be used?