Since our founding days as the Pine Cabin Run Ecological Laboratory, Cacapon Institute has been dedicated to using science to protect water. Research and water monitoring are key to this effort
Since the publication of “Portrait of a River” in 1989, Cacapon Institute has undertaken critical studies to further our understanding of the river. Tree canopy is an important part of keeping streams clean, even in urban areas. Our Urban Tree Canopy project supports cities and towns to assess their extent of their canopy and recommends ways to improve it.
Monitoring of the Cacapon River for its full length at twelve sites is conducted monthly for major parameters, including temperature, turbidity (muddiness), nutrients (nitrate and phosphorus) and fecal coliform bacteria. The aim, of course, is to detect change, especially deterioration in water quality, and determine the cause and possible solutions.