A VOLUNTEER TAKES PART IN THE MONITORING OF THE MERCED RIVER LAST YEAR. Water is the 21st century’s gold in Mariposa’s Gold Country. It is used for drinking, bathing, cooking, irrigation, and recreation. Visitors come from all over the world to experience the pristine landscape of the Merced River watershed.

The Upper Merced River Watershed Council, part of the Mariposa County Resource Conservation District, has monitored the health of the Merced River for over five years. Volunteering with the Citizen Water Quality Monitoring program is a way to learn about the river while contributing valuable data to the Watershed Council.

The next training for new volunteers will be held on Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the newly-renovated Merced River Center at Briceburg. No previous experience is necessary. All training and equipment is supplied by the Watershed Council. Families with older children, youth, retirees, and anyone who cares about the Merced River are encouraged to participate.

This is an opportunity to practice hands-on science as monitoring teams will conduct tests for pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature. Volunteers are expected to monitor their sites four times a year and attend an annual “refresher” training. After the Nov. 14 training, new volunteers will join an existing team and head out to the river to monitor their site. Each monitoring session takes approximately two hours to complete and provides an opportunity to spend time enjoying the river.

Currently 12 sites are monitored along the Merced River and its tributaries beginning in Yosemite Valley and extending to the North Fork of the Merced River. Over 32 individuals currently volunteer along with groups from the Yosemite Valley School, Yosemite Park High School, and the Yosemite Institute. Volunteers come from all walks of life with a variety of backgrounds. They are brought together through their common interest of caring about the watershed. The data that these volunteers collect is used to monitor the health of the river and the watershed.

To sign up as a water quality monitor or for more information contact the Watershed Council office at 966-2221 or water - shed@sti.net. The council’s Web site, www.mercedriver. org, provides information about the Council as well as other volunteer opportunities that are available. Funding for this project is provided by a grant from the California Department of Conservation.