The RCD hosted the first ever Weaver Creek Watershed Celebration earlier this year to give Weaverville residents a chance to learn about the health of streams flowing through their neighborhoods.

Members of the AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Project organized the event, held near the Mill Street Bridge where several streams join with nearby trailheads. Natural resources specialists from RCD and county, state and federal agencies were on hand to lead tours and give demonstrations on easy techniques used to assess water quality. They also described some factors that can harm water quality, including sediment from erosion.

The goal of the event was to generate interest in starting a CreekWatch program that relies on volunteers to sample water in local streams on a regular basis. Across the country, volunteers with an interest in the health of their watershed monitor the condition of streams, lakes, wells and other water bodies.

Volunteers are given instruction and guidance on how to sample water and collect related information. They learn to make visual observations of aquatic insects, fish, and habitat as a way to assess water quality. Information typically gathered for water monitoring includes water temperature, flow, pH (acidity), and the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. The presence of certain macro-invertebrates and the degree of turbidity or clarity also tell us how healthy a stream is.

CreekWatch volunteers help support the stewardship of their local streams and watershed by gradually developing a database of information about year-round water quality and quantity. That information can then be used to determine if there are problems upstream that need to be corrected.

The annual World Water Monitoring Day is October 18 and is the anniversary of the U.S. Clean Water Act, passed by Congress in 1972.

If you are interested in becoming a CreekWatch volunteer to help monitor your watershed, contact Mark Dowdle at the RCD office, 623.6004.