Title:
Quality Control in a Volunteer Monitoring Program

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Author(s)
Mayhew, Mary C.
Mayhew, Edmond A.
Authors
Advisor(s)
Advisor(s)
Editor(s)
Hatcher, Kathryn J.
Associated Organization(s)
Supplementary to
Abstract
The volunteer monitoring program on Lake Lanier was established in 1987 to provide baseline data on water quality. The program was designed with 100 stations for several reasons: to provide volunteers with the information about their area of the lake, to obtain baseline data about a large and diverse water body, and to provide quality control measures. The stations are sampled by volunteers once a year in late summer and, in many years, by professionals at three other times during the year. The laboratory techniques of weighing filters, measuring conductivity, analyzing for chlorophyll a and total phosphorus, and the field technique of measuring Secchi depth were compared for groups of volunteers, professionals, and volunteers and professionals. The results showed significant differences due to changes in equipment used, the method used, and seasonality, but no significant differences due to type of personnel.
Sponsor
Sponsored and Organized by: U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology
Date Issued
1995-04
Extent
Resource Type
Text
Resource Subtype
Proceedings
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