Monitoring Streams

My spring and summer volunteer job of monitoring streams has started up again for the season.  I did it yesterday.  I don't usually start this early in the year and it was nice because without leaves out it is easier to see the area all the way down to the stream.  I monitor Coon Creek and the Rum River.  The creek was two degrees warmer than the river.  Both were clear to over 100 centimeters. Using a metal bucket on a rope, I bring up water and pour it into a secchi tube.  This time I could see the black and white pattern all the way down to the bottom of the tube which is 100 centimeters in length. I've seen the river that clear many times but this is the first time I've ever seen the creek that clear.  The water was so clear I could make out the sand dunes at the bottom of the creek.  Nine mallards swam by increasing the recreation suitability of the area.  Actually I enjoy visiting the same two areas weekly.  I believe this is my fourth or fifth year now.  Sometimes I get questions about what I do.  People walking by ask me what I am doing.  One day I dropped my bucket into the Rum and a guy in a boat under the bridge yelled up at me.  He thought about yanking on my rope to get my attention but decided not to do that. I'm glad because I think I would have been very startled to feel a tug on my rope.  One day I was monitoring the Rum in a rain storm and a police man got out of his car and said, and I quote, "What the hell are you doing?"  I didn't hear him coming because of the rain pounding on the hood of my rain coat and he scared me before he made me laugh.  Several times people I know have stopped me to say, "What were you doing on the bridge the other night?  So I tell them I monitor the stream for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.  Most people seem interested and they always have a river story to share with me.  Appreciation of bodies of water seem to unite us Minnesotans.