The Dragonfly Mercury Project (DMP) is a nationwide effort, led by the US Geological Survey (USGS) in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS). DMP enlists citizen scientists and community volunteers to collect the data that allows USGS to determine the level of mercury pollution in our waterways. Mercury, a global pollutant, can be highly toxic to both humans and wildlife. Dragonflies are targeted because they are excellent bioindicators for mercury. They spend a year or more developing as juveniles in aquatic habitats, during which time they accumulate mercury in their bodies if it is present in their surroundings. Since its inception in 2009, the DMP has become the largest assessment of mercury contamination in the U.S.
The Stewardship Council has been participating in this project since 2022. In the late summer, a team of volunteers led by NPS and NRWA spend a day collecting dragonfly larvae samples at three sites, one on each of the three Wild & Scenic Rivers. The sites are located at the West Groton Water Supply District land on the Squannacook River, the former Millie Turner dam site on the Nissitissit River, and the boat launch at the Marion Stoddart Conservation Area on the Nashua River. Samples are packed in dry ice and sent to a laboratory in Oregon for analysis of mercury levels, with results posted approximately a year after the collection date. In recent years, samples also qualified to be tested for PFAS as part of a newly developing assessment project.
Anyone interested in participating should email Emma Lord at the National Park Service.
Resources:
Enjoy the graphic narrative “Seeing the Unseen” by Maddi Bacon.
Explore the USGS Dragonfly Mercury Project dashboard. Under Units tab, select Nashua, Squannacook, and Nissitissit Wild and Scenic Rivers (NASN) to view our data.
Learn more at the NPS DMP website.