San Diego Coastkeeper’s mission is to protect and restore swimmable, fishable, drinkable water in San Diego County. One of our most powerful tools for accomplishing that mission is our volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program, which has been monitoring creeks and rivers in throughout San Diego County since 2008. Our trained volunteer monitors conduct monthly sampling at over 30 sites in 9 coastal watersheds from San Luis Rey to the Tijuana River.
We assess watershed health by measuring nutrients, bacteria, and basic water chemistry. Our data is used to establish baseline water quality conditions, track changes over time, and helps regional regulators and environmental advocates identify water quality impairments and reduce sources of pollution.