Dunwoody Public Works invites volunteers to participate in the City of Dunwoody’s new Adopt-A-Stream program. 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,” said Javier Sayago, Dunwoody’s stormwater capital projects manager. “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 at selected locations across Dunwoody.
Free training and supplies
In coordination with Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, the city will provide free training and supplies to those interested in joining the program. They’ll start 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 handheld field equipment. The basic set of tests includes dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH and temperature.
• Macroinvertebrate monitoring: Volunteers learn about stream macroinvertebrates (insects, mollusks and 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 at dunwoodyga.gov/adoptastream.
