Hope Mountain Centre contracts with the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission (SEEC) to monitor stream water quality through water testing and invertebrate sampling in the Upper Skagit River Watershed on a yearly basis.
Study objectives—which drive the sampling study approach—are to detect, over time, significant changes in water quality of the Upper Skagit River and its tributaries. Changes in water quality could be from development pressures within the watershed or large scale environmental changes as a result of climate change, forest fire, insect infestation and so on. Test sites are monitored in areas likely to be impacted by human activities and reference sites will be tracked as indicators of large scale environmental changes. If changes are observed, the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission (SEEC) will decide on their importance and take action by informing the appropriate authorities.
We are looking for volunteers who have a penchant for the outdoors, love the Cascade Mountains and can’t resist splashing around in creeks and streams!
For more information on this annual project, contact Natalie Worrall, Water Testing Project Manager – nworrall@hopemountain.org
Annual Reports
2010 Report – Upper Skagit Stream Monitoring (PDF document, 1108 KB)
2011 Report – Upper Skagit Stream Monitoring (PDF document, 6778 KB)
2012 Report – Upper Skagit Stream Monitoring (PDF document, 2651 KB)
2013 Report – Upper Skagit Stream Monitoring (PDF document, 18213 KB)
2014 Report – Upper Skagit Stream Monitoring (PDF document, 15181 KB)
2015 Report – Upper Skagit Stream Monitoring (PDF document, 8507 KB)
2016 Report – Upper Skagit Stream Monitoring (PDF document, 7850 KB)
2017 Report – Upper Skagit Stream Monitoring (PDF document, 5690 KB)
2018 Report – Upper Skagit Stream Monitoring (PDF document, 5514 KB)
2019 Report – Upper Skagit Stream Monitoring (PDF document, 4340 KB)
2020 Report – Upper Skagit Stream Monitoring
2021 Report – Upper Skagit Stream Monitoring (PDF document, 6292 KB)
Project Details for Volunteers
Project Sponsor: Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission
Project Lead: Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor Learning
Location: Streams in the Skagit River Watershed north of the U.S.-Canada border accessed by Hwy 3 to Manning Park and Silver-Skagit Road to Ross Lake.
Timeframe: Mid- to late-August. Two or three stream locations are sampled each day for a week.
Time Commitment: Three volunteers are recruited for each day. Due to learning ramp-up time, preference is for volunteers who can commit to 2 or more days for the week. Each day is long (but fun!), about 8 hours, which includes driving time to and from Hope.
Technical Experience: We will be collecting habitat data, stream measurements, aquatic invertebrates (water bugs) and water samples. No prior experience in water sampling is required. A half-day training session is generally held the week before fieldwork.
Physical Requirements: Volunteers should be prepared to be outdoors all day in the backcountry and must be in reasonably good shape–bushwhacking through brush or wading in fast moving streams is possible.
Clothing: Volunteers must be prepared for a range of weather conditions. Proper attire should be brought for unexpected changes in mountain weather. Chest waders and water safety equipment will be provided.
Transportation: Provided to test sites from Hope, BC.
