Air Temperature: 11 C / 52 F
Weather: Partly cloudy, light wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 15 C / 59 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 8.1 mg/L
Centredale River Gage: 2.43 feet

Notes: The morning started out cloudy but now the sun is looking like it will break through, at least for a while. The water is moving faster here in Greystone than it does at Donigian so even though it is much shallower here, it pushes me and my equipment around as it rushes past me on its way to the bay.

Air Temperature: 12 C / 54 F
Weather: Mostly cloudy, light wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 15 C / 59 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 8.8 mg/L

Notes: It's the first monitoring day of the 2005 season and I was welcomed to the site by a great blue heron fishing below the dam. Leastwise I took at as a welcome and a good omen; the heron was less pleased and flew away up the river! I trust he will be back. After a brief spot of sun the day is turning cloudy, but it is still nice to be out on the river.

Air Temperature: 12 C / 54 F
Weather: Clear and calm.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: 7 mm (0.28")

Water Temperature: 14 C / 57 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 9.0 mg/L
Centredale River Gage: 3.12 feet

Notes: A gorgeous spring morning: the sun is shining, the birds are singing, the sky is blue, and everything is glistening from last night's rain (and the eight days of rain and clouds before that!). As a result of all the rain there is a lot of water coming down the river, which made it somewhat challenging filling the sample bottles without losing the bottle or the lid or my footing.

Air Temperature: 16 C / 61 F
Weather: Clear and calm.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: 7 mm (0.28")

Water Temperature: 15 C / 59 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 9.3 mg/L

Notes: The sun is so warm it almost feels like summer this morning, but the temperature of the water is a reminder that it is indeed still spring! The river is both high and rather dirty looking this morning -- lots of sediment and particulate matter floating in the water.

Air Temperature: 23 C / 73 F
Weather: Overcast, light wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 22 C / 72 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 5.3 mg/L
Centredale River Gage: 2.25 feet

Notes: A quiet, overcast morning. There are lots of birds calling but they have a more subdued feeling than the raucous chorus I remember from the spring. There are lots of small insects in the air above the river, and apparently higher up as well, given the number of swallows flying around up there .

Air Temperature: 23 C / 73 F
Weather: Overcast, calm wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 24 C / 75 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 6.4 mg/L

Notes: A still summer morning on the river. The water level is way down from past weeks and the water temperature is much higher, reflecting the abrupt switch to hotter, drier (but very humid!) weather in the last couple of weeks. The morning has an uncertain feel to it; sometimes the sun seems like it will come out, and sometimes it looks like rain is on the way. We'll see what the day brings.

Air Temperature: 22 C / 72 F
Weather: Clear, calm wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 22 C / 72 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 4.0 mg/L
Centredale River Gage: 2.12 feet

Notes: The morning is still and calm as only a summer morning before a hot and humid day can be still and calm. Summer is definitely in full swing now. With each passing week there seems to be more algae and related plant life growing on the river bottom and floating in the river. The pond above the dam is green with algae and duckweed. The signs of this can be seen in the dissolved oxygen readings, which are dropping close to the levels at which aquatic animals cannot survive.

Air Temperature: 25 C / 77 F
Weather: Clear, calm wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 24 C / 75 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 6.2 mg/L

Notes: The breeze this morning is so gentle that it only occasionally gathers enough strength to stir the leaves on the trees. None-the-less, the mulberry tree is dropping white mulberries into the river at a great rate. Half a dozen or more landed within a few feet of me while I was collecting my water samples, and there must be a red mulberry upstream because I've seen a number of red mulberries floating by too. The big sycamore by the river is finally getting close to fully leafed out, which is nice to see because I was getting worried about it.

Air Temperature: 22 C / 72 F
Weather: Clear, gentle wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: 1.3 cm (0.51")

Water Temperature: 21 C / 70 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 6.1 mg/L
Centredale River Gage: 2.52 feet

Notes: The pond is now largely clear of duckweed except for occasional patches around the shore. The water level is also higher as a result of the recent rain. However, this morning the air is warming up fast and it shaping up to be a hot, sunny summer day, in stark contrast with the unusually cool and damp weather just a few days ago. As I was collecting my water samples a mallard with six ducklings swam past me headed downstream.

Air Temperature: 20 C / 68 F
Weather: Clear, calm wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: 1.3 cm (0.51")

Water Temperature: 20 C / 68 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 7.6 mg/L

Notes: The river is high and dirty from the recent rain, but it is a sunny day today. The mulberry tree is still dropping berries (one hit me on the head), but at a slightly slower pace than two weeks ago. I saw a muskrat cutting across the river a little ways upstream where I think he may have a burrow, and later I saw a duck paddling downstream leaving a thin silvery wake behind.

Air Temperature: 24 C / 75 F
Weather: Clear, gentle wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: Trace

Water Temperature: 25 C / 77 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 3.6 mg/L
Centredale River Gage: 2.07 feet

Notes: A beautiful breezy morning that at first felt cool but is warming up fast now! There is still quite a bit of duckweed around the edges of the pond. The dissolved oxygen level is again lower than would be desirable, but not so low that aquatic animals cannot survive.

Air Temperature: 23 C / 73 F
Weather: Clear, gentle wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: Trace

Water Temperature: 26 C / 79 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 5.4 mg/L

Notes: A stunningly beautiful morning! A cold front came through last night and cleared out the hazy weather we have been having recently, and now the sky is brilliant blue and a nice breeze is blowing. While it is not exactly cool, it is nowhere near as hot as it has been recently.

Air Temperature: 19 C / 66 F
Weather: Clear, gentle wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 25 C / 77 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 2.7 mg/L
Centredale River Gage: 1.83 feet

Notes: Yesterday was the hottest day to date this summer, with highs in the mid to high 90's, but a cold front came through in the evening and cooled things off quite nicely. None-the-less, the hot, dry weather is taking its toll on the river: the water levels are down from earlier in the summer and the water temperature is high. The dissolved oxygen levels are dangerously low now and the pond above the dam is once again largely covered with duckweed, as it was in late June.

Air Temperature: 23 C / 73 F
Weather: Clear, gentle wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 25 C / 77 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 5.1 mg/L

Notes: The river is definitely in high summer "mode" -- the current is very slow and the water going over the dam is broken up into isolated, delicate cascades, very different from the thundering turmoil you see here when the river is high. The sun coming through the trees on the other side of the river casts ever changing patterns of light and shadow on the water.

Air Temperature: 17 C / 63 F
Weather: Clear and calm.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 22 C / 72 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 2.6 mg/L
Centredale River Gage: 1.77 feet

Notes: There is a definite nip in the air, which leaves no doubt that summer is fading, but three months ago 63 degrees would have felt warm so summer is not over yet! While I was collecting my water samples I saw two small crayfish-like creatures sparring with each other as well as a chubby five-inch long fish darting from one hiding place to another and a school of smaller fish nervously roaming around under the bridge. The pond is still covered in a solid matt of duckweed, and the dissolved oxygen levels are low, so it is good to see that there is still plenty of aquatic life around.

Air Temperature: 20 C / 68 F
Weather: Clear and calm.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 21 C / 70 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 5.5 mg/L

Notes: The river is about as low as I have ever seen it. The face of the dam is dry and the only water going past the dam is going through the old sluice gate. However, cirrus clouds ("mare's tails") are starting to sweep across the sky so maybe we are finally in for some rain.

Air Temperature: 17 C / 63 F
Weather: Clear and calm.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 23 C / 73 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 2.9 mg/L
Centredale River Gage: 2.03 feet

Notes: A sparklingly clear morning very appropriate for Labor Day weekend and the unofficial start of Fall. While I was collecting my water samples, I saw another of the same crawfish-like creatures that I saw here list time. There is a lot of duckweed coming down the river but much less of the pond is covered with it now than in past weeks.

Air Temperature: 21 C / 70 F
Weather: Clear and gentle wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 22 C / 72 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 6.2 mg/L

Notes: The river is still low but at least there is water coming over the dam again. In fact at this water level the the rough face of the dam is a very pretty staircase like waterfall as the water bounces off high spots on the face of the dam and arcs down to find the next spot to bounce out from. Pretty as it is, however, for the overall river more water would definitely be better.

Air Temperature: 19 C / 66 F
Weather: Overcast and gentle wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 22 C / 72 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 3.1 mg/L
Centredale River Gage: 1.98 feet

Notes: The morning is clouding up now and has a somewhat indefinite feeling to it. The sun is still visible through the clouds, but casts no shadows. As usual, lots of birds, from ducks to cormorants to small songbirds are active around the pond. The amount of duckweed on the pond continues to drop, but there is still quite a bit of it around.

Air Temperature: 19 C / 66 F
Weather: Clear and calm.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: None

Water Temperature: 22 C / 72 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 6.5 mg/L

Notes: Earlier in the summer it would have been bright and sunny at this time in the morning. Today I'm watching the sunrise colors develop as I collect my samples. The river level is just a bit lower than last week, but there is still water going over the face of the dam. I saw fish jumping in the river above the dam, which is not something I remember seeing before.

Air Temperature: 19 C / 66 F
Weather: Clear and gentle wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: 1.4 cm (0.55")

Water Temperature: 20 C / 70 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 3.3 mg/L
Centredale River Gage: 2.01 feet

Notes: Dawn is just breaking and there is lots of morning activity around the pond, including a muskrat diving for his breakfast, a heron flying by, and various other ducks, geese, and small birds flitting and floating around. I can hear the muskrat crunching on his breakfast when he comes to the surface.

Air Temperature: 19 C / 66 F
Weather: Clear and moderate wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: 1.4 cm (0.55")

Water Temperature: 20 C / 70 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 6.1 mg/L

Notes: It is a beautiful morning! The sun is catching the edges of the clouds, the sky is deep blue, and everything is wet from last night's rain. Unfortunately, because of the rain, the river water can only be described as disgusting. There is an oily film on the water, as well as lots of stuff that looks like sewage floating in the water, and a nasty smell, especially where the water gets churned up near the dam.

Air Temperature: 13 C / 55 F
Weather: Heavy overcast and gentle wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: 3.1 cm (1.22")

Water Temperature: 18 C / 64 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 7.6 mg/L
Centredale River Gage: 3.13 feet

Notes: What a change from two weeks ago! After a Fall that on many mornings could have past for August, it now feels like November: cold, raw and damp. But part of me likes this kind of weather; it lets me know I'm alive by "pushing back" a bit. All the rain yesterday and last night has also transformed the river from a low, quiet, late-summer river into a raging torrent of muddy brown water. None-the-less, as I was leaving the site I saw a beautiful, white Great Egret flying down the river.

Air Temperature: 13 C / 55 F
Weather: Heavy overcast and gentle wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: 3.1 cm (1.22")

Water Temperature: 18 C / 64 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 8.4 mg/L

Notes: The river is running high and dirty this morning. At the moment, the rain has stopped for a little while, but it is still damp and cool, and the sky is a dense, uniform mass of gray cloud that appears to be just beyond the tops of the trees.

Air Temperature: 16 C / 61 F
Weather: Heavy overcast and gentle wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: 4.0 cm (1.57")

Water Temperature: 17 C / 63 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 7.8 mg/L
Centredale River Gage: 2.76 feet

Notes: It has been raining for a week now so the river is high but it is actually a shade lower than it was a week ago, maybe because the recent rain has been slow and steady rather than hard and fast. The pond above the dam has been pretty well swept clear of duckweed, and the dissolved oxygen levels have shot up in the last few weeks. A few of the trees have started to change color and that combined with the rust and tans of the marsh plants creates quite a pretty scene even on this damp, gray October morning.

Air Temperature: 16 C / 61 F
Weather: Heavy overcast and gentle wind.
Rainfall in the past 48 hours*: 4.0 cm (1.57")

Water Temperature: 16 C / 61 F
Dissolved Oxygen: 8.8 mg/L

Notes: This brings to a close another season of water quality monitoring on the Woonasquatucket. The river is high and muddy but it is not nearly as disgusting as it was three weeks ago, maybe because the rain has been slow and steady so the sewer system has been better able to handle the rainwater. It is warm enough out this morning that it could easily be summer, but the yellow leaves on the ground tell another story. Maybe it is suitable that a season of water quality monitoring should end on a wet, rainy morning because without the rain there would be no river, but too much water can also be a problem!

* Note: Rainfall amounts are record at a rain gauge about a mile WSW of Donigian Park. These rainfall amounts should be view as approximations because trees may shade this gauge under certain conditions.

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