Snapshot Day
What is Snapshot Day?
Snapshot Day is an annual, water quality monitoring event held on the first Saturday in May. Since 2000, this event has been providing a one-day “Snapshot” of the health of the rivers and streams that flow into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). Spanning more than 300 miles of coast from Pacifica in the north to Morro Bay in the south, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary receives flows from over 100 freshwater streams and rivers. In partnership with the MBNMS and hundreds of community volunteers, these rivers and streams are systematically sampled during the course of this one-day event.
What do you do?
Volunteers are trained to monitor temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, electrical conductivity and transparency in the field and collect water samples for laboratory analysis of nutrients and bacteria levels. The volunteers collecting this valuable information play a key role in our community as stewards of our watersheds.
How is the data used?
The information they provide is used by resource agencies, local governments and community groups to protect and improve the health of our local streams. Visit our Data Stewardship Portal for past years results.
Get in touch with your inner scientist and help track water quality in your area with the CWC's Data & Stewardship Portal
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