ABSTRACT
Water quality studies are much more complex than they first appear. There are so many decisions to make before setting foot in the field. Where will you sample? What will you measure at your sample locations? How will those measurements be made? When will samples be collected? Each of these decision points involves trade-offs that collectively determine what is logistically feasible and what it will cost. Unless you have unlimited time and resources, you will want to think these things through carefully. Your decisions can make or break your study. The notion that you just go out and grab some water samples and then measure what is in them not only is illogical, but also is hugely wasteful of somebody’s money and your time. Careful project planning is essential and will reap enormous benefits. We have seen expensive water quality studies that were embarrassingly wasteful and insufficient for addressing the questions at hand. We have also seen modest, clearly targeted studies that yielded useful information. Think about what your questions are, how to best answer them, and how to do that in a way that does not break the bank. The ability to carefully shepherd someone else’s resources is a virtue that others will recognize. This is a trait worth cultivating.
