Datasets: Campus Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring
About the Program
Coastal Carolina University’s Campus Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program is co-administered by Coastal Carolina University's Waccamaw Watershed Academy and the Waccamaw RIVERKEEPER® Program of Winyah Rivers Foundation. The Waccamaw RIVERKEEPER is the field leader for this project and ensures that the data are relayed to CCU’s Building and Grounds staff for follow up on potential illicit discharges. The Environmental Quality Lab under the Waccamaw Watershed Academy provides technical support including provision of equipment, maintenance, supplies and training.
The goal of CCU’s Campus Monitoring Program is to provide an assessment of water quality conditions in the stormwater ditches and retention ponds on campus, all of which eventually send waters off campus towards the Waccamaw River. Sampling is conducted every other week during the academic semesters. The data are being used to evaluate whether water quality is improving or degrading over time at some or all of the sites using a watershed approach.
All of the data are posted at this website. Follow the stepped instructions to view data by date, site, and parameter in a number of user selectable formats including boxplots and time trends. Dissolved oxygen, temperature, specific conductivity, and pH are measured in-situ with meters. Nitrite, nitrate and ammonia are measured in the field with test strips. Samples are collected and analyzed by the students in CCU’s Environmental Quality Lab for turbidity, E. coli and total coliforms. View standard operating procedures »
Students interested in participating should visit Research Opportunites. They can enroll for 1 credit as MSCI 399Q or volunteer in a non-credit role.