Volunteers Needed for Stream Sampling

PRWC is looking for volunteers for Ambient Water Quality Monitoring and for the Annual Macroinvertebrate Survey. In the photo to the left, Youth Conservation Corps crew members, Selana Kurutan of Southbury (left) and Hannah Kostka of Oxford (right), collect water samples from East Spring Brook in Bethlehem as part of the Ambient Water Quality Monitoring program.

By sampling for E. coli bacteria and nitrate, PRWC will be able to further characterize pollutant sources and problem areas, and further bracket priority areas for non-point source pollution and stormwater runoff reduction projects. The data will also help differentiate sources of contamination in the river.Results of the bacteria and nitrate samples are shared with the public and can be viewed on this map.

PRWC monitors fifteen sites during the field season twice monthly from May to October. There are six more dates of sampling for this season, extending from now through October. Sign up to volunteer here.

Since 2006, PRWC has conducted annual Macroinvertebrate Surveys following a protocol established by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for Stream Riffle Bioassessment by Volunteers (RBV).

RBV volunteers, as seen in the photo on the right, sample wadeable streams with nets to collect small creatures called macroinvertebrates. The diversity and "most wanted" species found are then used to help determine the quality of that body of water.

Join in the virtual training on Tuesday September 14 and participate in either the Saturday September 18 or Sunday September 19. Sign up for Annual Macroinvertebrate Survey here.