Protecting the Rock River and it’s tributaries

The Water Sentinels program recruits and trains activists to take regular water samples from the Rock River watershed.

Sampling follows standardized water assessment protocols and uses the following four main indicators to determine stream health: dissolved oxygen, nitrate and phosphate concentrations and turbidity estimated as total suspended solids.

Water health assessment by volunteers is crucial because Illinois EPA only has the resources to assess 14% of Illinois 119,151miles of streams. Volunteers take samples in the field and make measurements on site and back in a lab.