What is3 Rivers QUEST?

Three Rivers QUEST, or Quality Useful Environmental Study Teams, is a comprehensive water quality monitoring and reporting program for the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio River basins. The project also includes an outreach program titled 3RQ REACH, or Research Enhancing Awareness via Community Hydrology.

In addition to routine sampling, 3RQ targeted studies provide sound science to serve as the basis for implementing solutions to water quality programs through outreach and awareness by engaging community, regulators, and other parties of interest.

3RQ includes two distinct, yet collaborative approaches to collecting water quality data:

• 3RQ Research Partners• 3RQ Volunteer Organizations

3 Rivers QUESTVolunteer Orgs.

A coordinated group of grassroots organizations, such as watershed associations and individuals, contribute to the collection of important water quality data. To participate, groups must be willing to collect at a mininmum, data on water temperature, pH, and conductivity and have the resulting data displayed online on the 3 Rivers QUEST data map.

QUEST DataManagement Tool

The QUEST Data Management Tool is a database developed by the WVWRI and the WVU Office of Information Technology. The data management tool serves as a platform for the collection of data and perhaps more importantly, provides a way for groups involved with the program to manage their own data. This data is available for viewing by the public.

Three Rivers QUEST

Allegheny RiverMonongahela River

Ohio River

Funded by

Contact:

Melissa O’NealProgram Manager

melissa.o’neal@mail.wvu.edu

A program of the

3 Rivers QUEST

@3RiversQUEST

www.3riversquest.org

Research PartnersLed by the West Virginia Water Research Institute, the 3RQ research partners implement a regimented monthly water quality sampling program that includes both field sampling and a full detailed laboratory analysis of the samples. Currently, 42 sites are monitored monthly by 3RQ research partners. This detailed water chemistry and flow information is used to determine the loading of Total Dissolved Solids and other parameters.

3RQ Partners include:

WV Water Research Institute at WVUWheeling Jesuit UniversityIron Furnace Chapter - Trout UnlimitedDuquesne University