The Great Dismal Swamp Boardwalk Hydrology Project began in the Fall of 1996. Its
purpose is to determine the quality of the water in the Great Dismal Swamp and to
understand how and why the water quality changes. This report offers the data collected
and tries to explain the changes that take place with the swamp's water throughout the year
in regard to water table pulsing, pH, nitrate nitrogen, phosphate, conductivity, and dissolved
oxygen.

Water samples were collected in the Great Dismal Swamp from shallow wells and then
tested at Elizabeth City State University. Various instruments were used in the water tests,
including: a spectrophotometer, a pH meter, a dissolved oxygen meter, and a conductivity
meter.