In your backyard: Streams and energy hogs

(These columns reprinted courtesy of Stef '06 at the Maine DEP)

In Our Back Yard; Who Lives in Your Stream?

Rivers, streams, and wetlands in Maine are classified as AA, A, B, or C depending on the goal for the waters use.  AA is the highest class and C the lowest.  All classifications meet the requirements of fishable, swimmable set by the Federal Clean Water Act.  But do all the waters live up to their goal? 
 
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Biomonitoring Program evaluates waters all around the state to see if they are meeting their class goal.  They do this by monitoring the health of the populations of algae and macroinvertebrates (animals without backbones that can be seen with the naked eye) that live in the rivers, streams, and wetlands.   These creatures live in the water most of their lives.  By monitoring them, DEP knows what the water quality was like not just when they took the sample, but what it was last week and last month. 
 
Many different types of macroinvertebrates and algae can be found.   Some species require cold, clean water to survive and others tolerate polluted water.  Finding a variety of the organisms that require clean water is good, meaning the water quality is good and any human activities in the watershed are having minimal effect. A community of mostly pollution-tolerant species indicates poor water quality.
 
Maine is a national leader in using biological data to better identify the health of waterbodies.    A statistical model based on the types and numbers of creatures collected has been developed that predicts whether a river or stream sample attains Class A, B, or C.  New models for wetlands and algae data are being developed. 
 
So how’s your neighborhood river, stream, or wetland doing?  The Biomonitoring Program posts data to a DEP website to help you find out about your local waters.  Visit our web site at: www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/docmonitoring/biomonitoring/data.htm .   The web page includes helpful hints about biomonitoring data and uses Google Earth.
 
Look at the web site to find out whether a river or stream is classified as AA/A, B, or C, and if it meets its class.  For example, searching for “Guilford, Maine” reveals site S-84 on the Piscataquis River.  Click on the red square representing the site to show a window with that information.  To see all the data on the site click on the link in the bottom left corner.  The interesting information about this site is its class attainment.  In 1984 and 1985, it did not “attain class,” but after 1989 it does. Additional treatment of discharges to the river in the mid 80’s resulted in improved water quality, and by 1989 it attained its water quality goal.
 
For more information, contact us at biome@maine.gov . 
 
This column was submitted by Hannah Wilhelm, Maine Conservation Corps Volunteer with the Biomonitoring Program at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
In Our Back Yard; Borrow A Kill A Watt Meter & Save Energy 
 
With a rising cost of living, everyone wants to know how to save energy these days.  Kill A Watt meters can help people better understand where electricity is being used – and wasted – in their homes.  This spring, Efficiency Maine equipped Maine’s public libraries with Kill A Watt meters.  Public libraries are great resources; they provide books, videos, music, internet access – and now – a great tool to help you conserve energy.
 
Here’s how it works.  Go to your local library and check out a Kill A Watt meter.  When you get home, plug the meter into an outlet and then plug an appliance into the meter.  Turn the appliance on, and the Kill A Watt’s digital readout will tell you how many watts the appliance is using.  Ask yourself how often you use this appliance.  Do you think it has a big impact on your electric bill?
 
Next, find an appliance like a TV or computer.  Plug the Kill A Watt into an outlet and plug the TV or DVD player into the meter.  Don’t turn the appliance on.  Look at the digital readout; you may notice that this machine is using several watts of energy!  This is called a phantom load, and many appliances are guilty of using electricity when not in use.  Such phantom loads can add up to a hefty part of your electric bills.
 
Why do appliances have phantom loads?  One reason is that many of these machines have internal clocks and remote sensors – for example, computers, TVs, microwaves and stereos.  Anything with a digital clock, glowing light or remote control could be wasting electricity.  Battery chargers, although small, are often guilty, too!  Once you’re done charging your cell phone or mp3 player, unplug the charger.
 
So how do we squash these energy hogs?  Unplug!  Any appliance that has an easy-to-reach plug can have its power cut with a simple tug.  What about those hard-to-reach outlets?  Plug the offending appliances into a power strip, put the power strip in an easy-to-access area, and turn it “off” when you are done using it.
 
These Kill A Watt meters have been in public libraries for several months now, but Efficiency Maine is starting a new program to stock school libraries with Kill A Watts too.   Accompanying the meters will be lessons to help teachers integrate the Kill A Watts into their classroom curricula.
 
Teachers who would like to take your Kill A Watt investigations a step further, can contact Maine Energy Education Program.  They offer free, classroom-based, hands-on energy programs and can assist you with Service-Learning projects focused on energy efficiency.  Visit www.meepnews.org for more information.
 
To learn more about Efficiency Maine’s Kill A Watt program, visit www.efficiencymaine.com .  And don’t forget to stop by your local library to borrow a Kill A Watt meter! 
 
This column was submitted by Stefany Arsenault, Assistant Director of Maine Energy Education Program.  In Our Back Yard is a weekly column of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).