A goal of the Water Watchdog program is to monitor water quality. Aquatic invertebrates are biological indicators of water quality. Remember, in water of poor quality or in fast moving water these invertebrate populations may be small or nonexistent. However, these critters can also be easy to miss.
The fast moving Whirligig beetle is only 0.5 cm long, while a Water flea can be as small as 0.02 cm long!
DIPPING FOR AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES IS A SKILL. WE SUGGEST LEADERS GO PRACTICE DIPPING AHEAD OF TIME.
Everyone gets excited about water critters. Prepare participants for this activity. For young Water Watchdogs, you may wish to give them the opportunity to practice dipping with nets ahead of time by having them scoop small pieces of paper out of a sink or basic and transfer them to a holding bucket.
TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL DIPPING
1. Fill the viewing buckets with pond water. This could be an ice-cream pail, dishpan or other non-toxic container. A white, shallow container provides the best background to view aquatic invertebrates.
2. DIP - Scoop your net around aquatic plants and rocks near the shoreline. Be careful not to uproot aquatic plants. In addition, do not move rocks in the water. These provide a safe habitat for aquatic invertebrates - if you lift a rock, these creatures will be buried by sediment.
3. Place the net into the bucket. Turn inside out and gently swish.
4. Keep containers in the shade so the water temperature does not rise. These creatures are adapted to their natural habitat. A quick change in temperature can cause undo stress and death.
5. After observing animals in the dishpan, let them go. Submerge dishpan in the original water and gently tip to let out the contents of the dishpan. Never pour from the dishpan into the water body. This can damage or kill small plants and animals.
