The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) is looking for volunteer Citizen Scientists to assist with ice monitoring data collection for their newly developed Ice Monitoring Program.
Citizen Science is increasing becoming recognized as a valuable tool for scientific research as it both engages the stakeholders and increases the amount of data that can be collected. The volunteers that contribute their time and energy to this project will provide valuable information that MVCA would be otherwise unable to obtain.
The Ice Monitoring Program will observe and monitor several key ice parameters including ice thickness, ice on, freeze up, break up, and ice off dates, and locations of ice build up in our rivers. The information collected through this program will assist with MVCA’s flood forecasting and warning program and will be utilized in various research projects, primarily centered around how the ice regime is changing in response to climate change and the implications for water quality and quantity throughout the Mississippi Valley Watershed.
Volunteer Citizen Scientists can expect to dedicate minimal time to this project – we estimate a couple hours spread across the winter season. MVCA is looking for lake residents who have waterfront property or access the lake regularly and can provide observations on several key ice phenology dates based on visual observations, namely; ice on, freeze up, break up, and ice off dates. Interested parties can contact the Ice Monitoring Program Coordinator Jennifer North (contact info below) will provide an observation form that can be filled out electronically or by hand and submitted to MVCA.
Jennifer North | Water Resources Technologist | Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority
10970 Highway 7, Carleton Place, Ontario K7C 3P1 www.mvc.on.ca |t. 613 253 0006 ext. 243| f. 613 253 0122 jnorth@mvc.on.ca