Foundation using grant to monitor water quality

The Henry’s Fork Foundation (HFF) will use a $9,000 grant from the CHC Foundation to maintain technology and data collection equipment.

HFF is in the fifth year of a watershed-wide water quality monitoring program. It collects information at monitoring sites ranging from Mack’s Inn to the north and as far south as Parker. It also monitors tributaries to the Henry’s Fork, including Warm River and the Buffalo River.

At each site, the foundation records temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, water depth, algae production, and dissolved solids. The data helps analyze phosphorus and suspended sediment concentrations.

The information is key to monitoring the abundance and size of wild trout. Without monitoring, the foundation said it would be impossible to assess the effects of restoration projects, new infrastructure, or changes in management actions.