2014 No.4 NH LoVoTECS Newsletter

Where were you on the mornings of May 14th, June 11th and July 16th, 2013? If you are a NH LoVoTECS sensor host more than likely you spent a portion of your morning at the site of your sensors collecting for the statewide “Snapshot” event. Water samples were collected between 7:00am and 4:00pm at active LoVoTECS sites for a total of 233 samples, representing about 79 sites per sampling event. Preliminary results are discussed in our March 2014 Newsletter, accessed via the link: March, 2014 NH LoVoTECS Newsletter Analytes of the Snapshot event and their significance to include them in the analysis are listed below.

Major  Ions	Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Sulfate, Nitrate, which are the major contributors to electrical conductivity.
Dissolved Organic Carbon & Nitrogen	An important condition of water chemistry, significant to metal transport and generally to aquatic ecosystems.
Phosphorus	A major factor for aquatic ecosystem health. Often algal is limited by phosphorus availability.
Water Isotopes	Oxygen 18, Oxygen 16. This helps in identifying water sources.
Silica	Silicon dioxide is another factor for aquatic ecosystem health, also higher levels of silicon dioxide are typically found in groundwater due to the weathering of rocks and sand.
Ammonia	Ammonia is the preferred nitrogen-containing nutrient for plant growth.
Water Isotopes	Oxygen 18, Oxygen 16, which are helpful in identifying water sources.