Dunwoody Public Works has created an Adopt-A-Stream program that’s open to volunteers.
A statement from the city said volunteers will select a site to adopt along a local creek or stream and regularly monitor the water quality.
“The goal is to keep our waterways clean and healthy by checking for anything out of the norm,” Javier Sayago, Dunwoody’s Stormwater Capital Projects Manager said. “We look forward to building a team of volunteers for this simple but serious work.”
Volunteers can choose to monitor a creek or stream in their backyard or selected locations across Dunwoody. In coordination with Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, Dunwoody will provide free training and supplies to those interested in joining the program.
It will begin with a four-hour training session to become a certified volunteer in one of three areas:
- Chemical Monitoring: Volunteers learn how to conduct various chemical tests using hand-held field equipment. The basic set of tests includes dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, and temperature.
- Macroinvertebrate Monitoring: Volunteers learn about stream macroinvertebrates (insects, mollusks, & crustaceans) and focus on collection techniques for rocky or muddy bottom streams and macroinvertebrate identification.
- Bacterial Monitoring: Volunteers learn how to monitor E. coli levels in their streams and identify possible sources of pollution. The workshop covers collecting and plating a water sample, incubating the plates, and interpreting the results.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome to participate. They can seek training in one or all three types of monitoring. Chemical and bacterial monitoring are done monthly. Macroinvertebrate monitoring is done quarterly.
Learn more and register using this link: //dunwoodyga.gov/adoptastream
