By Chelsea Urquico
Have you seen a group of folks with blue backpacks near the water’s edge at Bayfront Park, you were watching the latest cohort of Community Water Leaders learn how to monitor the quality of the water, and nine other sites of interest around the Hamilton Harbour watershed.
The Community Water Leaders (CWL) program is run by the Bay Area Restoration Council (BARC) and open to anyone 18+ interested in learning more about local water issues and getting some hands-on experience monitoring local water quality. Over a period of six weeks, CWLs gather water quality data at 10 sites of interest, and additionally each week, gather at a different location within the Hamilton Harbour watershed for a workshop on a specific topic. This cohort’s workshop topics include Frog Call Surveying with the Hamilton Conservation Authority, Freshwater Birding with the Hamilton Naturalists Club, and Invasive Species in Marshlands with the Royal Botanical Gardens, just to name a few.
At the first meeting, Program Coordinator Kaeley Cole demonstrated how to measure several water quality metrics such as depth, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, conductivity, pH, and temperature. These measurements are uploaded to the BARC’s Water Rangers portal, which has observations dating back several years. Not having had any previous experience in environmental monitoring, it was a bit intimidating learning all of the terminology, but Kaeley was happy to answer any questions I had about the process of water quality testing.
BARC Executive Director Chris MacLaughlin then led us on a short walk around the waterfront trail, stopping at various points to share some of the history of Bayfront Park and tHamilton Harbour. As we stopped at the map outlining the geography of the Hamilton Harbour and overlooking a peninsula with the CN tracks at left, the High Level Bridge & the Fishway, sailboats and seadoos crossing the water, several stationary bulk carriers in the harbour, and further in the distance the Skyway Bridge and the industrial sector, he prompted us to reflect on the various uses of the water, the complexity of the systems it is a part of, and the interactions between wildlife, people and industry.
As the summer gets into full swing and more people are out enjoying various activities in and around the harbour, let’s take this opportunity to better understand our watershed, its history, the ways it has impacted us and how we might shape our impact on it, not just this season, but for the many seasons to come. If you are interested in learning more about the Community Water Leaders program or would like to be a part of the upcoming Fall cohort, reach out to Kaeley Cole at kaeley@bayarearestoration.ca or myself at itschels@proton.me as I’d love share what I’ve learned from the experience.
