Clean water is essential for healthy ecosystems, recreation, and safe communities. While professional laboratories use advanced chemical testing methods, there are also low-cost, hands-on ways that anyone can assess water quality in nearby lakes and ponds. One of the most effective approaches, as Presence News reader Ben points out, is by examining the macroinvertebrates living in the…

Looking at Mount Rainier, you might notice the many glaciers.

Or maybe you see the snow that accumulates over the long winter?

Driving around the mountain, the rivers can leap out at your eyes.

But when you stop at Sunrise, Box Canyon, or Longmire and fill up your bottles for a hike, do you notice the water then?

Sitting at the cafe at Paradise, do you ponder how the water got to your table?

There are water systems all over the park: Carbon River, White River, Sunrise, Ohanapecosh, Paradise, etc. And there are folks working to keep water available and healthy. Whether it’s starting a system up for the summer, shutting it down for winter, or regular operations, our Utilities staff is constantly testing the water to make sure it’s good. Testing, in fact, is one of their most useful tools. Some tests are done on site. Some in the lab. And some are sent away.

Providing healthy water is a job that’s never done. A big thank you to the NPS employees who do this tireless work. ~ams