Information for Volunteers

The last ARM sampling date was April 2, 2023!
The next sampling date is scheduled tentatively for Sunday, April 7, 2024

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer sampler, or if you have any questions about ARM, please contact the ARM statewide coordinator Olga Tsvetkova.

2022 ARM Site Map

Check out the map below to see which sites (indicated by the red symbols) still need volunteers for 2022.

Site Directions

ARM Site List

You can view the list above in your browser. It includes coordinates and map links for every site.

Site maps are also available in PDF format by county:

• Barnstable County
• Berkshire County
• Bristol County
• Essex County
• Franklin County
• Hampden County
• Hampshire County
• Middlesex County
• Norfolk County
• Plymouth County
• Worcester North County
• Worcester South County

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.

Forms and Letters

• Collector Data Sheet/Chain of Custody Sheet
• 2019 Volunteer Letter for Landowners
   

2021 Laboratories

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

2021 Laboratories

County	Contact & Address	Drop Off Times
Barnstable	Contact: Sophia Fox Phone Number: 508-487-3262 ext 0504 Address: Cape Cod National Sea Shore 99 Marconi Site Rd. South Wellfleet, MA
Bristol	Contact:  Mary Rapien Phone Number: 401-525-1931 (Mary) Address: Bristol Community College Building L, Room L-201 777 Elsbree Street Fall River, MA 02720	TO BE UPDATED SOON. Contact Mary or Kimberly if other arrangements need to be made.
Essex	Contact: Joseph Ciccotelli or Phil McCarthy Phone Number: (978) 356-6639 Address: Ipswich Water Treatment Plant 274 High St Ipswich, MA 01938	after 7AM Monday April 9, 2018
Franklin	Contact:  Cathy Wilkins Phone Number: (413) 337-5717 Directions: 7 Underwood Hill Rd Heath, MA 01346	Sunday April 7, 2019. Cooler will be left on porch. Alternatively, samples may be left at Françoise’s house in Greenfield: 63 Washington St, Greenfield, MA
Hampshire/Franklin	Contact: Travis Drury Phone Number: (413) 545-5979 Address: 5 Goessman Hall UMASS Amherst, MA 01003 Directions from route 63 Map of campus	8am - 5pm Sunday April 7, 2019. There will be a cooler outside of the lab.
Southern Hampshire and part of Worcester County	Contact: Mark Putnam Phone Number: (413) 213-7922 Address: MWRA Quabbin Lab 485 Ware Road Belchertown, MA 01007 Directions: Route 9 to 485 Ware Road. Brick building. Go to front door. Lab is upstairs.	By 1pm Sunday April 7, 2019
Hampden/Berkshire	Contact:  Dr. Dave Christensen Phone Number: (413) 572-5373 Address: Westfield State University 577 Western Ave Ecology and Research Lab Science and Innovation Building, Room 207 Westfield, MA 01086 Map of campus	10am - 2pm Sunday April 7, 2019
	Contact:  Sue Tower Phone Number: (413) 537-6429 Address: Springfield Water and Sewer Commission  1515 Granville Rd Westfield, MA 01085 Directions: Volunteers should come through Gate #3, it will most likely be closed but there is an intercom by the gate. Once through the gate the first white large building on the left houses the lab and operations. There is a doorbell to the left of the main door. Lab is on the second floor.	Preferably 12:30pm - 2:30pm on Sunday April 7, 2019, but staff will be available outside that time as well.
Norfolk	Contact: Amy Johnston, UMass Boston Phone Number: 207-557-0962 Drop-Off Location: 10 Curtis St, Unit 5 Quincy, MA 02169  There will be a cooler left outside for the samples.	Sunday, April 7, 2019. Samples should be dropped off before late afternoon. The top left apartment all the way at the top of the left staircase. There will be a labeled cooler outside the door with a clipboard. For any questions, contact Amy at the number or email address above.
Plymouth	Contact: Bob Bentley and Jim Hoberg Phone Number: Bentley: (508) 946-2225 Hoberg: (508) 295-2550 Analytical Balance Lab 422 W Grove St, F Middleborough, MA 02346
Worcester North	Contact: David Bennett Phone Number: (978) 827-7065 (978-827-7063 home) Address: Cushing Academy 39 School St Joseph R. Curry Academic Center, Room 104 Ashburnham, MA 01430 Directions: Please deliver your samples to: Room 104, Joseph Curry Academic Center, which is the first building on the left on Academy Street.	12-4pm (if earlier, there will be a tub outside the lab door) Sunday April 7, 2019
Worcester South	Contact: T(link sends e-mail)imothy Loftus(link sends e-mail) Phone Number: (508) 755-1286 ext.14 Address: Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District 50 Route 20 Millbury, MA 01527 Directions: If using a GPS device, enter the address as 7 Nippnapp Trail, Millbury, MA. From Route 20, turn onto Nippnapp Trail and go through the gates. Take a right after the gates and follow sign to the administration building.	7am-noon preferred on Sunday, April 7, 2019. Contact the lab prior to the sampling date if other times need to be arranged.

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.