Lab Upgrades:
To continue meeting the challenge of providing accurate water quality analysis, the FOSR lab and field equipment need to be upgraded. We recently added testing modules that measure total nitrogen and total phosphorous in response to new state and federal requirements for reducing these inputs. FOSR can become a vital informational resource for local government and watershed organizations to satisfy these requirements, if we have the resources to meet this demand.
Expanded Monitoring:
Collect water samples at county boundaries during instances of peak flows to quantify nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment from the Shenandoah Valley to the Potomac River and to the Chesapeake Bay.
Staffing Needs:
Simply put, our staff of two can’t keep up with our data. We can collect and analyze it, but we don’t have the resources to assess, distribute, and present it. Our first new hires will be assigned the task of keeping all county stakeholders—including the FOSR membership—informed and up to date on “the state of the river”.
Educational Outreach:
Train new FOSR staff and provide them with professionally designed materials to take the FOSR message to area schools and organizations.
Overhauling the FOSR Website:
We’re doing great and admirable work, but more people need to know about it. We have undertaken this major overhaul of the FOSR Website, with more current and relevant data, and an aggressive inbound marketing and social networking effort.