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Become a Member Today
The Blackstone River Coalition Watershed-wide Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program has a place for you!
Testing Dates for 2009:
- April 11
- May 9
- June 13
- July 11
- August 8
- September 12
- October 10
- November 14
- Do you like:
- Being outdoors and mucking about in streams?
- Doing real science that can make a difference?
- Understanding how land uses can impact water quality?
- Finding and reporting pollution "hot spots"?
If you answer "Yes" or even "Maybe" to any of these questions, keep reading!
What's involved in being a Blackstone River Volunteer Water Quality Monitor?
- Here are some of the many opportunities:
- Being part of a well-respected team who gathers reliable data, acts as watershed stewards, reports pollution problems, and cares deeply about our water resources.
- Training to do chemical and physical monitoring as well as habitat surveys. Tests includes dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphates, temperature, pH, turbidity, bacteria.
- Sampling at a designated site on the second Saturday morning of every month from April through November.
- Bringing a grab sample to a central location for further analysis.
- Conducting sampling analysis at the central location.
- Helping to develop the Blackstone Watershed Water Quality Report Card.
- Participating in a program that helps to achieve a Fishable/Swimmable Blackstone River by 2015.
The Blackstone River Watershed-wide Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program is coordinated by the Blackstone River Coalition: the Blackstone Headwaters Coalition, the Blackstone River Watershed Association and the Blackstone River Watershed Council – BRC members – each sponsor a monitoring team.
To join a team, contact Program Coordinator Tammy Gilpatrick at 508-278-2080 or brcoalition@yahoo.com.
Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring in The Blackstone River Watershed:
- 1999: Blackstone Headwaters Monitoring Team launched by Massachusetts Audubon Society – 20 monitors at 24 sites.
- 2000: Birth of the Blackstone River Coalition (BRC): members include the Blackstone Headwaters Coalition (BHC), the Blackstone River Watershed Association (BRWA), the Blackstone River Watershed Council (BRWC), the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission of the National Park Service, and Mass Audubon.
- 2003: Under the BRC, the water monitoring program goes watershed-wide and forms two new teams, one in the mid-reach region (from Worcester to the RI border) and one in Rhode Island - 45 monitors at 50 sites.
- 2003: BRC launches the Campaign for a Fishable/Swimmable Blackstone River by 2015.The Campaign focuses on storm water impacts on water quality and quantity, with an outreach component that engages watershed residents in changing their habits to reduce those impacts. The water-monitoring program is a major element of the Campaign.
- 2004: Real science! Quality Assurance Project Plan approved by EPA, RI DEM, Mass DEP – 80 monitors at 70 sites.
- 2005: BRC receives the US EPA Environmental Merit Award for its volunteer monitoring program.
- NOW: You join the program!
This program is funded in part by the French Foundation, Greater Worcester Community Foundation, JHC Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission, Mass Audubon, Massachusetts Environmental Trust, Polyfoam Corp., Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District.
For a copy of our brochure, click here.
Blackstone River Coalition
P.O. Box 70477 Worcester MA 01607
info@zaptheblackstone.org
Send web comments to: web@zaptheblackstone.org
