Trending
In partnership with the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring out of Dickinson College, the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association is looking for volunteers in Lycoming and Clinton counties to join a new Stream Team monitoring effort in 2022.
Several dates have been set for those who wish to participate in the Lycoming/Clinton Stream Team effort, including a virtual information session from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8, an equipment pickup on Monday, Feb. 28, and an online training workshop from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22.
ALLARM's Stream Team initiative is a program created and implemented in collaboration with county conservation districts, Riverkeeper organizations, and Penn State's Master Watershed Stewards program. Stream Team engages volunteers in Pennsylvania and New York to collect water quality data on Susquehanna tributaries that can inform local, state, and regional approaches for improving watershed health.
Volunteers are expected to provide monthly monitoring over the course of one year on a specific stretch of waterway near their homes for temperature, nitrate-nitrogen levels, conductivity, pH and a visual assessment.
All necessary training and equipment are provided via the program.
What does it mean to be a Stream Team volunteer?
• Part of a small group of people interested in monitoring the health of local streams
• Conducts monthly data collection (2-4 hours per month for one year)
• Participates in a macroinvertebrate workshop (once a year)
• Maintains equipment and follows protocols as outlined in the monitoring manual
• Completes the data sheets and submits to ALLARM and Chesapeake Data Explorer
• Participates in quality control checks and follow-up meetings
• Stays in communication with ALLARM and other team members
Why is the program
important?
• Stream monitoring is a vital tool in assessing the health of the Susquehanna watershed
• Reviewing the progress of the Chesapeake Bay pollution blueprint
• To collect credible scientific data that can be used to make decisions about improving watersheds
How will the collected
data be used?
• To establish a baseline understanding of local stream health
• To help inform potential follow-up decisions on a local and regional level
• Data will be uploaded to the Chesapeake Data Explorer database
Who will support the
program and provide
assistance?
• ALLARM provides monitoring support in multiple ways:
• Provides monitoring workshops and equipment training
• Assists in the process of site location for monitoring
• Coordinates follow-up meetings
• Manages and shares data
When does it start and
how long does it last?
• Monitoring starts after the training workshop and sites have been selected
• 12 months of chemical monitoring and 1 macroinvertebrate collection
• Additional monitoring parameters may be added if the baseline data shows a need for further analysis (second year) and monitoring interest is sustained.
The Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association serves an 11,000-square-mile watershed of the Susquehanna River, including Sullivan, Lycoming, Clinton, Union and Northumberland counties. Read more at www.middlesusquehannariverkeeper.org.