News

In April of 2025, Sound Rivers launched Water Watch, a program that enlists volunteers across the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico watersheds to collect observational data at a creek, stream, or river of their choice, and report any water quality issues back to the Riverkeeper team. After 10 in-person training sessions (in Blounts Creek, Oriental, Washington, New Bern, Greenville, Kinston, Tarboro, Goldsboro, Rocky Mount, and Durham) “Water Watchers” are now monitoring 111 sites across the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico, and have submitted 315 water quality reports. Most of the reports can be viewed on Sound Rivers online Water Watch dashboard.

The Water Watch program is further expanding its monitoring capabilities through a partnership with ECU’s Community Water Network, giving Water Watch volunteers access to water quality testing kits. In addition to the valuable observational data our Water Watchers already collect, these kits will allow volunteers to measure temperature, turbidity, nutrients, dissolved oxygen, and chloride levels. Together, these observations and test results will provide a more comprehensive picture of water quality across our watersheds and add valuable community-generated data to the broader pool of information available to researchers, resource managers, and the public. Before rolling out the kits to all Water Watch volunteers, Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey and Water Quality Specialist Taylor are working with a pilot group of volunteers to gather feedback and develop training methods. This pilot will help us determine the best ways to distribute, train, and support volunteers across the program’s wide geographic area while ensuring that the data collection remains accessible and consistent. 

With this program continuing to exponentially grow, the Sound Rivers team is excited to welcome Water Watch’s first ever intern, Georgia Harris. Georgia is a senior at East Carolina University, majoring in Biochemistry. Georgia will be assisting the Riverkeeper team with managing the day-to-day operations of the program, including reviewing water quality reports as they come in through the online dashboard, communicating with volunteers, and supporting staff with upcoming Water Watch trainings, meetings, and volunteer outings. With Georgia’s help, the Water Watch program will continue to flourish, increasing the Riverkeeper team’s capacity to respond to each pollution concern, and keep an eye on the waterways our communities depend on.

Georgia kicked off her first week as our Water Watch intern with a half-day of training at the New Bern office alongside Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey and Water Quality Specialist Taylor. She was introduced to the Water Watch dashboard and reporting survey, learned more about the program, and got an overview of her roles and responsibilities for the semester. Georgia is excited to dive in, connect with our Water Watch volunteers, and start responding to reports! 

Get to know Georgia:

“Hello, my name is Georgia from Georgia! I am 25 years young and I love people and water color painting. I have a loving husband, Daniel, a corgi, Archie, and three cats; Pinto Bean (aka La Beana), Max, and Stumps. Pho is the way to my heart and I believe most things can be solved with a conversation and a warm meal. Lastly, you can’t change the world, but you can change your world, so get to work!”

Find out more about how you can become a Water Watcher here!

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