Data Collection Video Resources
MSU Extension Water Quality Videos
1. How to Collect a Grab Sample (7 minutes)
Summary:
This video reviews the protocols for collecting a stream water sample. It includes protocols for labeling bottles, sample collection methods, and sample preservation methods, sample storage, and maintaining the chain of custody.
2. How to Callibrate a YSI Pro Plus Meter (19 minutes)
Summary:
This video over views how to properly calibrate a YSI Pro Plus for specific conductance, pH, and dissolved oxygen.
Madison Conservation District Vidoes
1. How to Collect Water Samples (5 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZeb8bA4ze4
Summary:
This video gives a brief overview of how to collect a stream water sample. It includes protocols for labeling bottles, sample collection methods, and sample preservation methods.
2. Riparian Photos (2 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2lHt07KkBk
Summary:
This video provides brief instructions for taking a site photo in order to monitor riparian conditions.
3. How to Measure Turbidity (4 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnXC-hWJq8k
Summary:
This video demonstrates how to measure turbidity using a turbidity tube.
4. How to conduct a simplified pebble count (3 minutes)
Summary:
This video demonstrates how to conduct a pebble count simplified to only determine whether substrate is less than or greater than 2 mm. The particle size threshold of 2mm is commonly used for assessing sedimentation impacts and for calculating the fraction of a riffle habitat covered in fine sediment.
Videos from other organizations
1. Collecting grab samples with a telescoping rod (4 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oDez3aWi-0
Summary:
This video walks through how to use a telescoping rod to collect a grab sample from a stream.
2. How to Read a Staff Gage (1 minute)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7AlQwbVnaY
Summary:
This video walks through how to read a staff gage. Video produced by the Huron River Watershed Council in Michigan.
3. How to measure discharge with a flow meter (5 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB92i3jdxc0
Summary:
This video walks through how to measure discharge using a Marsh McBirney flow meter. This is a good refresher video but note a few details in the video that differ from common protocols. They suggest making measurements at only 10 locations on the cross section, where most methods require at least 20 measurements. They suggest a velocity averaging period of 15 seconds, when 45 seconds is commonly recommended. Their meter is set to meters per second in one of the shots when it should be in feet per second. Video produced by the Huron River Watershed Council in Michigan.
4. How to estimate discharge with the float method (7 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXvkeHjE_0g
Summary:
This video walks through how to estimate discharge using the float method. Video produced by University of Wisconsin Extension.
5. How to conduct a Wolman Pebble Count (14 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNmzVx1oHL0
Summary:
This video demonstrates how to conduct a pebble count using a gravelometer and addresses challenges that may occur in the field. Video produced by the R6 Stream Inventory.
6. Macroinvertebrate sample collection for preservation (28 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRYTgU-NBG0
Summary:
This video demonstrates how to collect macroinvertebrates using a modified D net across differnet habitat types for sample preservation to send off for identification. The video also covers filling out datasheets to characterize the reach where samples are collected.Video produced by the Colorado River Watch.
7. Macroinvertebrate collection and identification for biotic index (12 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In1Foq4l43A
Summary:
This video overviews how to collect and identify macroinvertebrates to calculate the biotic index value for a site. Videoproduced by University of Wisconsin Extension.