Cook Inlet Keeper trains citizens to monitor water quality at many sites in the Cook Inlet watershed.  The Citizens Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) training follows rigorous guidelines outlined in a training manual, a field procedure checklist and a quality assurance project plan (QAPP) developed by Keeper and approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.  Both the Technical Advisory Committee and Citizens Advisory Panel provide input to the Citizens Environmental Monitoring Program.  The data collected are entered into a relational database (which can now be queried online), and compared to federal and state water quality standards. Periodically, Keeper publishes progress reports on this ongoing effort. Download copies of recent reports by clicking the links below.  Joel Cooper co-ordinates the monitoring program throughout the watershed- contact him for more information about starting a group in your area.  Edan Badajos runs our Kachemak Bay monitoring program, contact him for information about Homer area activities.

New Report!  

2003 Citizens' Monitoring Annual Report

  2M Acrobat PDF (faster download - lower resolution pictures/diagrams)

  5M Acrobat PDF (slower download - higher resolution)

2002 report: Acrobat PDF (8665k).

2001 report: Acrobat PDF (710k).

2000 report: Acrobat PDF (462k). (Right-click to download).

Impervious Surface Analysis of Bridge Creek Watershed: Acrobat PDF (1700k). 

A description and history of use of Bridge Creek Watershed: Acrobat PDF (520k).

 Cook Inlet Partner Groups 

Our approved quality assurance plan lends a great deal of credibility to any monitoring program and the data generated. With Cook Inlet Keeper's training and assistance, under the umbrella of the Cook Inlet partner groups, and using the quality assurance project plan, several groups have begun their own monitoring programs.  The Kenai Watershed Forum is active in the Kenai River watershed, Anchorage Waterways Council in the Anchorage Bowl, the Mat-Su Borough Planning Department concentrates on the lakes in the Matnuska-Susitna Valley and the Wasilla Soil and Water Conservation District concentrates on the Little Susitna River and Cottonwood Creek watersheds. Also part of the partner group is Elaine Major, at University of Alaska in Anchorage.  Elaine focuses on using macroinvertebate (stream insect) information to assess stream health through biomonitoring.  Keeper hopes to incorporate biomonitoring into its program and QAPP in the future.

 Lower Kenai Peninsula Watershed Health Project 

Keeper also employs a stream ecologist who monitors professional-level water quality in four watersheds under contract to the Homer Soil and Water Conservation District's Lower Kenai Peninsula Watershed Health Project.   This project looks at four high value salmon streams with increasing human use.

2004 Salmon Stream Report

2003 Report 

 Training 

Each volunteer undergoes three levels of training before becoming a monitor.  The training program consists of five phases, the first three need to be completed before a water quality monitoring kit is assigned.  Regular trainings are scheduled quarterly, special trainings also occur.

• Phase I: Introduction to water quality monitoring kits, testing protocols and the watershed concept.

• Phase II: Hands on training using volunteer monitoring kits.

• Phase III: On site training.

• Phase IV: Annual rectification.

• Phase V: Training to become a trainer.

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