IDAH2O Master Water Stewards Program

Water stewards

The IDAH2O Master Water Stewards Program is a volunteer, citizen scientist effort to collect basic water quality data for Idaho streams. This program is offered through University of Idaho Extension to provide a unique opportunity to learn about and document regional water issues.

The IDAH2O Master Water Steward Program launched in 2010 and has over 500 certified volunteers.

What water stewards do

• Participants attend a two-part workshop that combines about three hours of online or classroom instruction with about three hours of hands-on fieldwork. Once a volunteer becomes a certified IDAH2O Master Water Steward, they can adopt a stream location to monitor regularly. Monitoring includes habitat, biological and chemical/physical assessments.
• All data collected is added to a public website. This data may help agencies determine water quality standards and priorities.

As an IDAH2O Master Water Steward, you

• Improve your understanding of watershed ecosystems, health and function
• Increase your skill in water quality monitoring
• Become part of an established monitoring effort
• Gain water monitoring tools and resources
• Improve your understanding of local water quality concerns
• Make local water data available
• Guide UI Extension water quality programs, publications and the IDAH2O Master Water Steward Program's direction

Workshops

Learn more about workshops available for those wishing to become a certified IDAH2O Master Water Steward or Project WET certified teacher.

Volunteers

Find resources for current IDAH2O participants.

Water quality database

Access the water quality database, interactive map and data entry tools through the IDAH2O Master Water Stewards web application.

This web application is connected to University of Idaho's Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences (IIDS), in partnership with IDAH2O. IIDS is a secure central data storage system for access and processing of data from anywhere.

All master water stewards data is submitted through online forms. This data is available to the public almost immediately.

Volunteers or distant users can create graphs and charts, and view data collected at any IDAH2O registered site for which data exists. The IDAHO2O Master Water Stewards web application can generate reports for specific sites or water quality parameters.

Each volunteer has a unique password to upload data. Please contact us if you have questions about data, data entry, changing passwords or the larger hydrologic information system.

Resources

IDAH2O instructional video

• View the complete IDAH2O instructional playlist

IDAH2O instructional presentations via Prezi

• Informational slide set
• Module 1: Introduction
• Module 2: Key water quality concepts in Idaho
• Module 3: Getting started as an IDAH2O Master Water Steward
• Module 4: Stream habitat assessments
• Module 5: Physical and chemical stream assessments
• Module 6: Stream biology
• Module 7: Standing water assessments, aquatic invasive species

Videos

• IDAH2O and Confluence Project (stormwater)
• Water quality and lawn care PSA

Wildlife and water curriculum — 4-H

• This curriculum is written for a sixth-grade audience but can be modified for students in upper elementary through high school. Please contact idah2o@uidaho.edu for more information.