(Mark Phillips) Despite the absence of a couple of our "regulars," July's water testing went well. Water temperatures were mainly at 60 degrees, with several sites a degree or two cooler. DO readings were 9 - 10 mgs/liter, with one exception, a small tributary of Lyon Creek with only a trickle of flow tested at 6. pH was 7.5 at all sites. (King County, using more precise testing methods, detects a slow trend in many area streams toward greater acidity, i.e., readings lower than 7.5.) We started new procedures to minimize risk of spreading New Zealand Mud Snails, recently confirmed in McAleer Creek: limiting direct stream contact to one team member, and brushing off boot bottoms when leaving a site. No snails of any kind were observed. This year's BIBI sampling may be especially important in helping get a better idea of the extent of mud snail presence in the streams.