Adopt-A-Stream is a volunteer-based initiative that empowers community members to protect local streams and rivers by monitoring water quality. Volunteers are trained, teamed-up, assigned sites, given equipment and data sheets then sent out into the field to gather information on streamside habitats, physical characteristics, and aquatic insect populations.

SMALL RIPPLES MAKE BIG WAVES

You don’t have to be a scientist to make big improvements in our environment! Everyday people getting involved in water quality monitoring has resulted in positive changes across the nation, the state and right here in the Clinton River watershed. The water quality data collected by CRWC volunteers has been utilized to identify and resolve soil erosion problems and to help select and fund specific locations for brook trout and coldwater stream restoration projects.

HOW IT WORKS

Volunteers are broken into groups to survey sites throughout the watershed. Each group is assigned a site, and many groups return to the same site every year.

Team Leaders help their groups coordinate and follow site procedures to ensure that data is being collected in a safe and consistent way. Each team fills out a Stream Survey Form to guide their monitoring efforts.

Adopt-A-Stream site monitoring consists of:

• Collecting samples from the river using a net

• Finding macroinvertebrates in the samples

• Identifying habitat types

• Describing stream characteristics including, the width, presence of vegetation, progress of erosion, and amount of tree canopy cover

• Categorizing bottom composition of the stream

• Identifying nearby land use

• Conducting a chloride test

• Reporting on trash, debris, and invasive species