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Sampling Directions
Laboratories
Interpretation

Sampling Directions:
· If sampling by a bridge, try to collect sample upstream of the bridge.
· If you can do so safely, wade into stream, walking upstream. Take sample upstream of your body. For lakes, sample at dam or shore.
· Uncap bottle, fill it partly, cover with cap, shake to rinse inside bottle and cap, and empty behind you.
· Repeat twice (rinse 3 times)
· Then completely immerse bottle in water, let it fill completely, and cap under water.
· Put in cooler with ice or frozen ice pack.
· Fill out field data sheet with your name, date and time of sampling, and samples taken.
· Deliver to lab and sign bottom of field data sheet at that time.

Laboratories: Analysis Method for pH and alkalinity - Care and maintenance of electrodes

Essex County
Contact: Joyce Kippen
Phone Number: (978) 356-6639
Address:
Ipswich Water Treatment Plant
274 High St
Ipswich, MA 01938

Franklin County
Contact: Cathy Wilkins
Phone Number: (413) 337-5717
Address:
7 Underwood Hill Road
Heath, MA
Directions:
From Greenfield and points East:
Take Route 2 west from Greenfield. Take a left onto the Colrain Shelburne Road.  You will find the turn just after an antique store called:  “Strawberry Fields”, and across the road from the “Shelburne Falls Coffee Rosters” store. Follow the Colrain-Shelburne Road down into Colrain Center (About 5 miles), where it intersects with Route 112.  Route 112 North goes straight ahead, and Route 112 South is a left turn.  There is a large, red brick Church/Meeting Hall type building on the right at that Intersection.Take Route 112 South and follow Route 112 South about ¾ of a mile to 1 mile to the first right hand turn off of Route 112.  You will notice a Roof Truss factory at that intersection. Take that right. Follow that road as straight as you can (It curves often, some of them sharp) for about 9 miles.  For the first mile or so, the road will bend sharply in several places.  You will pass a church on the right, and a cemetery on the left.  After the cemetery, a road comes in from the left (Don’t take that left), and the main road will then follow along a river.  Keep the river on your Left side, and don’t take any right turns away from the river or cross the river.  If you take any of the right hand turns, you will end up in the middle of nowhere…After about 6 or 7 miles, the road will leave the river, and take a sharp left turn up a long hill (You have no choice).  You just entered Heath!  Keep on that road for another 2 or 3 miles and you will intersect with Route 8A.  Take a Right onto Route 8A North. Follow Route 8A for only about ¼ mile, and a small road will go left, while 8A goes sharply to the right.  Take that Road to the left (Sadoga Road). Follow Sadoga Road straight through the first 4-way intersection.  You will then come to a “Y”. Take the Left fork at the “Y”, that is our road, Underwood Hill Road. Follow Underwood Hill Road for about ¾ mile.  Our house is on the right, next to the road near the end of the road.  You will have gone up one hill and down into a valley, then up another rather long, steep hill. It is stained clapboards with Green trim. There will be a cooler on the porch.
Drop-off times: by 6 pm Sunday April 13, 2008

Hampshire/Franklin Counties
Contact: Miira Wirth
Phone Number : (413) 687-1245
Address:
5 Goessman Hall
UMASS
Amherst, MA 01003
Map of campus
Drop off Times: before 3pm Sunday April 13, 2008

Hampden/Berkshire Counties
Contact: Dr. David Doe
Phone Number: (413) 572-5291
Address:
217 Wilson Hall
Westfield State College
577 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA
Directions:
Travel Massachusetts Turnpike to Exit 3 (Westfield) Bear right after tollgate onto Route 202. Follow Route 202 straight until you reach the rotary in the center of Westfield. Enter rotary and take your first right onto Court Street. Follow straight approximately two miles. The college will be on your right hand side.
Drop off times: Wilson Hall room 217, Westfield State College - By 3-3:30pm Sunday April 13, 2008

Middlesex County
Contact: Carmen DeFillippo
Phone Number: (978) 433-9859
Address:
47 Nashua Rd.
PO Box 319
Pepperell, MA
Directions:
In Pepperell, follow Rte 111 North after split from Rte 122 for about 1 1/4 mile or less. Sign for WWTP on right. Follow road to end, cross at four way stop and enter driveway. Lab is in building straight ahead.
Drop off times: 7:30 - 11:00am Sunday, April 13, 2008

Norfolk County
Contact: Steven Rudnick
Phone Number: (617) 287-4042
Address:
100 Morrissey Boulevard
UMass Boston
Boston, MA 02125
Directions:
Interstate 93 South (Southeast Expressway) to exit 15 (Columbia Road/JFK Library/UMass). Turn left at the end of the exit ramp and proceed towards the rotary. Turn right the first opportunity out of the rotary and remain in the right lane descending the ramp onto Morrissey Boulevard. Stay to the right of the curb at the bottom of the ramp and in the left lane. The first traffic light is in front of The Boston Globe plant. At the second traffic light, turn left into the campus and follow the driveway to the parking areas. S/1/12 in Science Building.

Worcester North
Contact: David Bennett and Michelle Salvucci
Phone Number: (978) 827-7065 (978-827-7063 home)
Address:
Cushing Academy
Joseph R. Curry Academic Center
Ashburnham, MA 01430
Directions:
Please deliver your samples to: Room 105, Joseph Curry Academic Center, which is the first building on the left on Academy Street.
Drop-off Times: 12-3pm (if earlier, there will be a tub outside the lab door) Sunday April 13, 2008

Worcester South
Contact: Jim Bonofiglio
Phone Number: (508) 799-1513
Address:
71 Stonehouse Hill Rd.
Holden, MA
Directions:
Take MassPike West to exit 10 (Auburn). After the toll, stay in the left lane and take Rt. 290 East to exit 17 (Rt. 9). Turn left at end of ramp. This is Belmont St., which changes to Highland at the 2nd light. Go straight through 7 sets of lights, you will come to a rotary. Follow signs for the Worcester Airport (2nd right out of rotary, Pleasant St.) At 3rd set of lights turn right onto Mower St., go 0.2 miles and bear right at the fork onto Olean St. Travel 1.2 miles and plant entrance is on right. Take the FIRST left to the treatment plant.
Drop-off times: by 2pm Sunday April 13, 2008

Lake and Stream Sensitivity Explained

How aquatic environments respond to acid deposition depends on their sensitivity to acids and the quantity of acids received. Most environments are naturally buffered against acid input by neutralizing materials such as limestone.

If sufficient buffering capacity exists in an environment, excessive acid input does not change the pH of the water, although it will progressively deplete its acid neutralizing capacity (ANC). The soils, bedrock, and vegetation of watersheds largely determine the capacity of aquatic resources to accommodate acid deposition, but other factors play an important role.

Acid neutralizing capacity can have its full effect only when the incoming precipitation has sufficient contact time with the neutralizing material. Areas with steep slopes, shallow soils or frozen ground tend to minimize contact time, resulting in incomplete neutralization of water entering lakes and streams.

Additional neutralization is provided by the biota. For example, algae generate buffering materials during photosynthesis, and microbes living in bottom sediments reduce sulfur compounds to inert forms.

ANC and pH interact in an unusual way: as acid is added to a buffered system, pH changes little until the ANC approaches zero. Then, small additions of acid cause large changes in pH. Finally, pH drops precipitously and permanently to levels that few aquatic organisms can tolerate.

With lower pH, levels of toxic metals leached from the watershed increase, aquatic growth is reduced, and sensitive species ranging from fish to algae disappear. If this occurs in a drinking water supply, metals will dissolve from distribution pipes resulting in high levels of iron, copper, lead and other metals.