IOWA CITY - IOWATER, Iowa's statewide volunteer water quality monitoring program, will host workshops throughout the state this summer.

During the two-day workshop, classroom instruction will be combined with hands-on training as participants learn how to monitor and assess the quality of their local streams, rivers, and lakes. IOWATER emphasizes a perspective based on the "watershed," or the area of land that drains into a body of water. As workshop participants will learn, much of the trash, chemicals and other materials used on the land will eventually end up in the water.

Water quality monitoring includes physical, chemical, biological and habitat assessments. Physical assessments document the physical attributes of a waterbody, such as temperature and water clarity. Chemical testing includes pH, nitrogen, phosphate, chloride and dissolved oxygen monitoring. Biological monitoring includes identification of "benthic macroinvertebrates," or organisms that live in streams, rivers and lakes. Habitat assessments can be used to document the suitability of water bodies to sustain aquatic life.

If they choose to do so, volunteers may submit their data to an online database via the IOWATER website, www.iowater.net. Anyone can view data submitted by volunteers, but only certified IOWATER volunteers can enter data.

The dates and locations for workshops in 2008 are:

Workshop registration fees are $25 per person or $35 for a team and cover all program fees, meals and testing equipment. The deadline for registration is one week before the workshop.

For more information or to register, please visit www.iowater.net.