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How are these data used?

Water samples are used to collect data for four chemical and two human health indicators.

Human Health

A de-icing truck spraying salt water on a highway. Photo by Oregon Dept. of Transportation, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0

Salinity is a measure of the amount of salt in water. Salts can be toxic to freshwater plants and animals and make water unsafe for drinking, irrigation and watering livestock. Excess salinity can occur where evaporation is high, when water is repeatedly reused for irrigation, or when road salt or wastewater is present.

Where are salinity samples collected?

Crews collect salinity samples
at the midpoint of the
sample reach.

To learn more, see the
NRSA Field Operations Manual.