News

A dozen future Muddy Water watchers braved the wind and rain in Raleigh on Tuesday night to learn how to spot sediment and erosion control violations.

Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop, Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman and Water Quality Specialist Taylor Register hosted an in-person Muddy Water Watch training at the People’s Solidarity Hub in Durham.

“We were grateful for the people who came out and braved the weather,” Samantha said. “There were a lot of people who already knew a lot about the issue; people from southeast Durham, who are very familiar with the Lick Creek sediment issue; people tracking the RDU expansion; people who have followed Sound Rivers more generally, and wanted to get more involved, so it was a good mix of people.”

During the two-hour event, the Riverkeeping team covered quite a bit of information, from what’s not OK to see on construction sites and how to spot violations, to where the rules fall short and how monitoring efforts can be used to advocate for stronger protections for waterways.

Katey said the presentation was peppered with plenty of good questions and discussion with participants.

“It seemed a lot of them were pretty well-versed in the topic of muddy water and aware of the issues going on,” Katey said. “A good amount of people signed up to volunteer, and there was a lot of interest in continuing these trainings and getting involved.”

Tuesday night’s training will be followed by another in the spring — this one a hands-on, in the water event — with an eye toward expanding the program.

“Doing the Muddy Water Watch in person was a good experience, because we’re planning to replicate it in other areas, including the Tar-Pamlico,” Katey said.

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