Sunday was our first sampling for the Pierce County Lakes Algae Watch Project. I volunteer with this project in order to protect the safety and usability of the lake my family lives on - Lake Steilacoom in Lakewood, WA - and also to show my kids that science is useful and fun.  I never thought that when I was growing up! 

On Sunday after dinner we laid out all the sampling equipment provided by the Pierce County Health Department, reviewed the instructions, packed everything into the van and drove to the Edgewater Park boat launch.  Edgewater Park on Lake Steilacoom is the official water sampling spot for the project. 

My son Lukas helped me read the water temperature from the thermometer and Sophia was in charge of stacking the water sample bottles back into the cooler once they were filled.  We all worked together to complete the forms describing the lake usage, water color, and particle count.

It was interesting to be part of the data collection for this experiment and the kids took it quite seriously - probably because it was 'real'. Of course we don't know how this water quality sample will fit in with the other samples taken from other lakes across Pierce County, WA, but we hope this does a small but useful part in helping identify and prevent the toxic algae blooms that Lake Steilacoom and other Pierce County lakes occasionally experience.  We will continue to sample the water every two weeks throughout the summer.

If you want to remain updated on the activities of the Toxic Algae Watch Project, you can check back here of follow me on Twitter.