Mason-Lake Conservation District and LMWCC partnered to support 2021 Water Quality Intern, Abbey Hull.
Jim Squier, LMWCC Vice-Chair, initiated this effort with Dani McGarry, Director, Mason-Lake Conservation District who oversees Abbey’s internship. She is mentored by Mason-Lake and Manistee Conservation Districts staff, as well as some LMWCC volunteers. Article by Abbey Hull, edited and posted by Joyce Durdel.
Hello, I am a student at Western Michigan University (WMU), I will be graduating in December 2021.
Once I graduate I will have earned my Bachelor of Science majoring in Freshwater Science and Sustainability. I already have two associate degrees from Northwestern Michigan College (NMC), one in Freshwater Studies and one in Mathematics. I grew up in Traverse City, Michigan and it is now where I currently live with my fiance. We bought a house in March 2020. We have three cats and plan to get married in just a few weeks. I also have my own business, WaterNerd Designs, where I sell art and create logos for businesses.
I am very grateful to the Little Manistee Watershed Conservation Council for giving me a scholarship. When I was at NMC, I was able to work full time in order to pay for my school. However, WMU is much more costly. This scholarship was able to fund my last semester at WMU and allow me to do this internship at the same time. Without it, I would have needed to find a full-time job while also attending school full time. I have been very lucky to work with the Mason-Lake Conservation District doing what I love. I have also had the opportunity to volunteer with the Inland Seas on their Schoolship teaching kids about the Great Lakes. When I graduate, I hope to find a job near Traverse City working either in conservation or water stewardship.
Water Quality Chemistry / River Habitat Assessments / Macroinvertebrate Sampling
In August I went out to 10 sites on the Little Manistee to collect water quality data. Using data gathered since 2013, I established a baseline to determine stream health. Overall, the stream has had normal results and is healthy.
In late September I went out to three sites on the Little Manistee to do habitat assessments. In these assessments, we look at stream sediment, vegetation, erosion, and flow. This can help show over time how the stream is changing and if anything more needs to be done to protect them. Excess sediment can indicate degradation in a stream. Erosion also is an important parameter to monitor in streams.
October 2nd, after attending a LMWCC meeting, we are going out to do stream sampling. We will be collecting macroinvertebrates in three sites; the same sites as the habitat assessments. Macroinvertebrates, which are insects and other little river creatures (“Macro”= visible to the naked eye, “Invertebrates”= creatures without a backbone), are able to help determine stream health. As they live in the rivers year-round, the presence or absence of specific species can indicate if water quality is poor.
Once we have collected all of the data, I will be writing a summary report of our findings for 2021. This will include water chemistry data, as well as information from the habitat and macroinvertebrate assessments. The data will compare trends and overall stream health.
Last Updated: December 5, 2023 by lmwcc
Meet Abbey Hull: Water Quality Intern 2021
Mason-Lake Conservation District and LMWCC partnered to support 2021 Water Quality Intern, Abbey Hull.
Jim Squier, LMWCC Vice-Chair, initiated this effort with Dani McGarry, Director, Mason-Lake Conservation District who oversees Abbey’s internship. She is mentored by Mason-Lake and Manistee Conservation Districts staff, as well as some LMWCC volunteers. Article by Abbey Hull, edited and posted by Joyce Durdel.
Hello, I am a student at Western Michigan University (WMU), I will be graduating in December 2021.
Once I graduate I will have earned my Bachelor of Science majoring in Freshwater Science and Sustainability. I already have two associate degrees from Northwestern Michigan College (NMC), one in Freshwater Studies and one in Mathematics. I grew up in Traverse City, Michigan and it is now where I currently live with my fiance. We bought a house in March 2020. We have three cats and plan to get married in just a few weeks. I also have my own business, WaterNerd Designs, where I sell art and create logos for businesses.
I am very grateful to the Little Manistee Watershed Conservation Council for giving me a scholarship. When I was at NMC, I was able to work full time in order to pay for my school. However, WMU is much more costly. This scholarship was able to fund my last semester at WMU and allow me to do this internship at the same time. Without it, I would have needed to find a full-time job while also attending school full time. I have been very lucky to work with the Mason-Lake Conservation District doing what I love. I have also had the opportunity to volunteer with the Inland Seas on their Schoolship teaching kids about the Great Lakes. When I graduate, I hope to find a job near Traverse City working either in conservation or water stewardship.
Water Quality Chemistry / River Habitat Assessments / Macroinvertebrate Sampling
In August I went out to 10 sites on the Little Manistee to collect water quality data. Using data gathered since 2013, I established a baseline to determine stream health. Overall, the stream has had normal results and is healthy.
In late September I went out to three sites on the Little Manistee to do habitat assessments. In these assessments, we look at stream sediment, vegetation, erosion, and flow. This can help show over time how the stream is changing and if anything more needs to be done to protect them. Excess sediment can indicate degradation in a stream. Erosion also is an important parameter to monitor in streams.
October 2nd, after attending a LMWCC meeting, we are going out to do stream sampling. We will be collecting macroinvertebrates in three sites; the same sites as the habitat assessments. Macroinvertebrates, which are insects and other little river creatures (“Macro”= visible to the naked eye, “Invertebrates”= creatures without a backbone), are able to help determine stream health. As they live in the rivers year-round, the presence or absence of specific species can indicate if water quality is poor.
Once we have collected all of the data, I will be writing a summary report of our findings for 2021. This will include water chemistry data, as well as information from the habitat and macroinvertebrate assessments. The data will compare trends and overall stream health.
Find Abbey at waternerddesigns.com, on Instagram and Facebook.
Category: News, Restoration Projects