Sampling

At Drift South Expedition, we believe collaboration is key to understanding and protecting the Mississippi River. That’s why we actively partner with nonprofits, community groups, and local organizations to expand the reach of water quality monitoring. We’re inviting our partners to share their existing data and provide sampling equipment so we can help cover sites beyond their usual monitoring areas—including remote, hard-to-reach stretches of the river. Together, we build a more complete picture of river health.

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What We Do

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Academic Rigor, Simplified

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We apply standardized, replicable sampling protocols adapted for low-cost, small-team fieldwork. Our methods follow best practices used in professional environmental monitoring—ensuring data collected from the river’s headwaters to the delta is scientifically valid and valuable. Every sample includes careful measurement, detailed environmental context, and meticulous data management to contribute to broader research and advocacy efforts.

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Community Accessibility

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We believe that science should belong to everyone, not just specialists. That’s why our sampling tools and techniques use simple, affordable equipment — like DIY Secchi disks for turbidity and basic water chemistry kits. We teach participants how to collect, record, and interpret data themselves, empowering river communities to monitor local conditions and share stories that connect data with real-life river experiences.

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What We Sample

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• Water Clarity (Turbidity): Using a homemade, standardized Secchi disk, we measure how clear the river water is — a key indicator of sediment levels and pollution.

• Basic Stream Chemistry: DIY kits let us test pH, temperature, and nitrates — essential parameters for assessing water quality and aquatic health.

• Environmental Observations: Weather, flow conditions, land use, and visible water features like sediment plumes or algal blooms help us contextualize data.

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• Additional Parameters: *****When provided with specialized equipment by our partners, our crew members with extensive field technician expertise will sample for a wider range of indicators, including but not limited to dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and contaminants. This flexibility allows us to support diverse monitoring needs across the river.*****

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How We Sample

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Our approach to sampling balances scientific rigor with real-world feasibility. We follow consistent, replicable methods to ensure the data we collect is reliable, comparable, and useful to partners, researchers, and community members alike.

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• Standardized Protocols: All sampling follows clear procedures adapted from professional fieldwork standards. Whether testing turbidity, chemistry, or collecting observations, we use the same step-by-step process at each site to ensure consistency across the entire 2,350-mile route.

• Redundant Measurements: Whenever possible, we take duplicate or triplicate readings to confirm accuracy. This applies to turbidity depths, chemical tests, GPS coordinates, and environmental observations. In case of equipment failure or inconsistent data, redundancy allows for verification.

• Robust Data Management: We record every data point on both physical datasheets and digital backups (tablets, spreadsheets, or data apps), with GPS-tagging, timestamps, and environmental context. This two-tiered system reduces the risk of data loss and increases reliability. Data is reviewed regularly for quality control.

• Metadata & Context: In addition to numerical data, we document visual observations (e.g., water color, debris, sediment plumes), land use patterns, and nearby activity. This qualitative information helps researchers understand the full ecological and social context of each site.

• Adaptability in the Field: We sample from a moving canoe platform, adjusting methods to account for conditions like current, visibility, or weather. When working with partner-supplied tools or kits, we follow any additional protocols to ensure compatibility with their datasets.

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Why It Matters

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For Researchers & Policymakers

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Our methodical, consistent data collection across the full river length creates a rare, high-resolution snapshot of water quality during a critical season. This helps fill gaps left by reduced federal monitoring programs and supports science-based decision-making.

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For River Communities

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Anyone can learn to sample and understand their water. We give people the tools and knowledge to track changes in their watershed, speak confidently to local officials, and become active stewards of their river. This grassroots science strengthens community voices and builds resilience in the face of shrinking environmental oversight.

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