Collecting water-quality sample by wading in the Maumee River, Ohio

Stephanie Kula is collecting water-quality sample by wading in the Maumee River near Defiance, Ohio, for the Western Lake Erie Basin project. Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and sediment from urban and agricultural practices are a concern in the Western Lake Erie Basin watersheds in northwestern Ohio. Large inputs of nutrients into a stream or lake can cause excessive algal growth, which includes cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins, and may cause taste and odor problems in water supplies. The objectives of the project are to quantify daily, seasonal, and annual nutrient and sediment loads in the watersheds through streamflow measurements and water-quality sampling. Location:  Maumee River near Defiance, Ohio (in Independence Dam State Park), station number 04192500