Upper Gunpowder Brook Trout Conservation Partnership: Stream Monitor Deployment: Volunteers Needed

Upper Gunpowder Falls Watershed Brook Trout Conservation Partnership Stream Temperature Logger Deployment (Volunteers Needed!)

It’s once again time for MDTU to deploy stream temperature loggers in support of the Upper Gunpowder Falls Watershed Brook Trout Conservation Partnership. For those new to this event, stream temperature loggers record water temperature at specific time intervals (per minute, per hour, etc.) and the Partnership is utilizing data collected to develop a thermal map of the watershed’s stream temperatures. Ultimately, this map will give the Partnership a better understanding of current and potential brook trout habitat across the watershed for use in conservation project planning. MDTU volunteers have donated their time and effort since 2016 to strategically deploy these loggers each Spring and recover loggers (and data) in the Fall. In an effort to collect consistent year to year data, I have scheduled the 2018 deployment to occur as close as possible to the 2016 and 2017 deployment dates. This year’s re-deployment event will occur April 14th from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.

What to Bring:

• Waders or hip boots, hat, weather specific clothing, sunscreen, etc. (Dress like you’re going fishing!)

• A Smartphone with the downloaded app GPS Finder (it’s free). This app will allow you to collect accurate GPS points from your individual logger deployment locations. If you don’t have a smartphone, we’ll pair you with another team member who does.

• Navigation device (smartphone, GPS, road map, etc.).

• Digital camera and cables for offloading photos (smartphone works here too).

• Notepad and pen.

• Work gloves.

• Water and snacks necessary for an afternoon in the field.

Where to meet:

A Field Operations office will be setup for the day at Christmas Tree Park in Manchester, MD. This is where we’ll meet to separate into crews, assign logger locations, and distribute equipment for logger deployment.

Christmas Tree Park – 3383 Christmas Tree Lane, Manchester, MD 21102 -https://www.google.com/maps/@39.6641711,-76.8787736,16.41z?hl=en

Detail of Activities:

12:00 – All volunteers arrive at Christmas Tree Park

12:00 to 12:30- – Crew members are introduced and receive their equipment (loggers, housings, t-posts, cable ties, hammer, logger deployment worksheet, etc.)

12:30 to 12:45 – Adam Nabors will give a final ‘walk-through’ of logger deployment, answering any last minute questions or concerns.

12:45 to 3:00 – Crews travel to their individual sites for logger deployment. Once a crew’s loggers have all been deployed, they will return to Christmas Tree Park.

3:00 – All crews should be back to Christmas Tree Park.

3:00 to 4:00 – Crews offload data collected regarding individual logger deployment (GPS points, photos of logger installed, relevant site notes, etc.) and turn in equipment.

4:00 – All done (go fishing)!

To volunteer, please RSVP to Adam Nabors at anabors@eqrllc.com or 443.764.5318