Watersheds affect entire communities and preserving them takes a group effort.
Area residents looking to do their part to improve and monitor water quality in the Clinton River Watershed can participate in a two-part training program which started on Feb. 18.
The Clinton River Watershed Council (CRWC) kicked off the two-day training programs for its second Adopt-a-Stream program and hosts several training workshops in the area over the next two months for those wishing to take part, including a Part I session in Springfield Township on April 1.
‘It’s a wonderful program sponsored by the CRWC and a wonderful opportunity for those who love our resources and want to play a role in a very tactile way? in their own backyard,? said Springfield Township Clerk Nancy Strole.
As part of the program, once volunteers complete the training, teams visit adopted sites twice a year in the Watershed and collect data about the health of the waterways in that area. According to a CRWC press release, the data collected allows CRWC to develop a long-term record of aquatic organisms, habitat quality and basic chemical conditions used by local municipalities in developing and implementing programs to protect water quality.
The two-part training sessions take place on separate days at different locations.
Part I training has three remaining sessions, with the next one scheduled for April 1 from 12:30 p.m.?3:30 p.m. at the Springfield Township Civic Center.
The session teaches volunteers about the watershed and how everyday actions influence its health. The session, held indoors, also demonstrates how water quality monitoring can help track the health of the watershed as well as reviews monitoring protocols and macroinvertebrate identification.
Part II, held outdoors, takes volunteers streamside to review all the monitoring protocols and the art of capturing bugs in preparation for May monitoring.
‘It gives them an opportunity to go out there and make a difference. You’re not just reading a book. You’re out there doing it,? said Strole.
According to CRWC Stewardship Director Tracie Beasley, people wishing to attend can go to any session no matter their residency or location, but are expected to attend both parts of the program to participate.
After completing the two part-program, participants are placed with an experienced group for the spring visit and then placed in a group in fall based on factors including interest and location, said Beasley.
Last year over 100 individuals became Adopt-a-Stream volunteers and adopted 25 river, creek and drain sites across the watershed.
‘We had a tremendous response to this program last year. I was thrilled with how enthusiastic so many community members were to take part in this program and with their willingness to learn and commit themselves to something that was very new to most of them,? said Beasley in the press release.
As stated in their press release, CRWC aims to train another 100 volunteers this year, enabling the organization to add about 20 more sites to its water quality monitoring program.
Strole emphasized the fact that the program fits in well with what the Upper Clinton Subwatershed Group, consisting of municipalities including the Village of Clarkston, Springfield and Independence townships, is federally mandated to do about controlling and eliminating pollutants that may enter waterways.
Future Part I training sessions are scheduled for April 1 in Springfield Township, May 20 in St. Clair Shores and June 29 in Oxford. Part II workshops are set for April 22 in Waterford, April 23 in Utica, April 29 in Auburn Hills, April 29 in Troy, June 24 in Grosse Point Shores and July 13 in Lake Orion.
CRWC is a non-profit organization that protects, enhances, and celebrates the Clinton River, its watershed and Lake St. Clair.
To register or for specific location and time information, call Beasley at 248-601-0606 or visit www.clintonriver.org.