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Less than a year after Sound Rivers launched Water Watch, the program has hit a milestone in protecting water quality.

“We now have more than 100 Water Watchers monitoring sites across the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico watersheds,” said Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop.

Ten more were added on Tuesday night, as Samantha and Volunteer Coordinator Emily Fritz hosted a Water Watch training at EZ Bait and Tackle in Goldsboro.

“I was really pleased with the training. It was a mixture of younger and older folks — retirees — and some people we’ve never interacted with at Sound Rivers,” Samantha said. “We had a senior in high school who brought her friend, who is a park ranger at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park, and Bobby Jones brought a few young people from Down East Coal Ash Youth Ambassadors.”

Bobby Jones is the founder of Down East Coal Ash Environmental and Social Justice Coalition, a Sound Rivers partner through the years.

“Goldsboro has historically had issues, with Duke Energy coal ash facility, CAFOs, Busco Beach, so we’re now going to have some eyes around those places, which is just great,” Samantha said.

Since Water Watch began in April 2025, Sound Rivers’ Riverkeeping team has hosted trainings in Oriental, Blounts Creek, New Bern, Washington, Kinston, Greenville and, this week, in Goldsboro and Tarboro. With more than 100 people now monitoring waterways — whether sites along the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico or on their tributaries — Riverkeepers are receiving reports of issues in real time. 

That so many have volunteered for the program is simply an indication that people really care about water quality, according to Samantha.

“It says that people are eager to be a part of our work, to help us protect waterways. They want to get out and get to know the rivers that we rely on,” Samantha said. “There’s a lot of interest in the presentation, in learning about the signs of healthy and unhealthy waterways. When we finish the trainings, everyone comments that this a great opportunity to be a part of a collective watch-dogging effort for our waterways. This week’s training made it clear there’s a lot of interest in Goldsboro, and we’re looking forward to not only working with these volunteers but having more events, like cleanups, there. There seems to be a lot of interest in the community, so it’ll be fun to have a presence there.”

For more information about how you can become a Water Watcher, visit our Water Watch page here.

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