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In April, Sound Rivers will launch its most ambitious program to date: Water Watch.

Led by Sound Rivers’ Riverkeeping team of Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop, Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman and Water Quality Specialist Taylor Register, Water Watch will train volunteers in the field to collect scientific observations about water quality, flooding, erosion, habitat and more. The data will help inform the Riverkeeping team’s understanding of the health of the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico waterways, flag pollution concerns and monitor and protect more stream miles throughout both watersheds.

The first training in the Neuse River watershed will be held April 5, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Town Hall in Oriental. The first training in the Tar-Pamlico watershed will be held April 6, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Cotton Patch Landing in Blounts Creek.

Sign up for a training here!

“I’m really excited about this program. It’s going to be able to plug in people from all across the watersheds who are interested in our work and taking ownership of their local waterways,” Katey said.

Katey and Samantha’s riverkeeping roles require monitoring more than 12,000 square miles of watersheds, which include the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico rivers, 928,052 acres of estuary, 5,909 miles of streams and 21,423 acres of freshwater lakes.

“Unfortunately, we can’t be everywhere at once, so that’s where we’re putting Water Watch into play: a team of community scientists to help us keep an eye on those waterways,” Samantha said. “We’re hoping to build relationships between community members and their local waterways and build out our capacity as a watchdog organization, where those communities are alerting us to issues when they happen.”

Water Watch volunteers commit to one training and visiting a site of their choice in the Neuse or Tar-Pamlico watersheds at least once a month to collect observations. In the early days of the program, data will be submitted directly to the Riverkeepers, but as the program builds out, the goal is to have Water Watchers submit their findings to an online mapping system, where the public can see the observations Water Watch volunteers collect.

For Katey, the program will be a valuable tool in tracking the impacts of a limestone mining company’s discharge into Blounts Creek in Beaufort County. After a nearly 14-year court battle to prevent wastewater used in the mining process from being discharged into the headwaters of the brackish creek, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality renewed the company’s wastewater permit in February. When mining starts, Water Watchers will play an important role, she said.

“Now that this permit has come out, there are a lot of folks down in Blounts Creek who want to do something to help,” Katey said. “Being able to give them the tools and knowledge to do that is going to be really meaningful for them and great for us, as well, as we continue to monitor Blounts Creek impacts.”

“This is community-led science in the name of water quality,” Samantha said. “If you are passionate about water quality and looking for a way to give back to your watershed and community, sign up for our Water Watch program.”

Sign up for a Water Watch training here!

Like the work your Riverkeeping team is doing? We LOVE it! Donate today to support programs like Water Watch!