State tests river water monthly

Eiko Urmos-Berry, of the state Department of Ecology, pulls up water samples with a long rope dangling from the bridge in Coulee Dam. It's a sunny fall day, and her orange high-vis vest matches the changing colors of the leaves.

Urmos-Berry has taken around 10 samples on this day. The bridge is the last stop for her.

The Department of Ecology performs these "ambient" tests to look for trends in wa...