GEORGIA Adopt-A-Stream Volume 23, Number 2 April - June 2016 Adopt-A-Stream Staff, Editors Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division Congratulations to the 2015 Adopt-A-Stream Award Winners! Georgia Adopt-A-Stream is sincerely grateful for all the local volunteers, trainers and partners who give their time and energy to protect and improve Georgia's waterways. We are honored to recognize the following individuals and groups for their achievements and for going above and beyond the goals of the program. Noel Turner, Volunteer of the Year Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition ~ Chemical and Bacterial Monitor Active Since 2012 ~ 13 Monitoring Events in 2015 Noel is one of Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition's first Adopt-A-Stream volunteers. He attended their second workshop in 2012 and has conducted chemical and bacterial monitoring along the Hiwassee River in Towns County every month since. In addition, Noel is the president of the Towns County Homeowners Association. Through this position, he strengthens partnerships between the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition and local county and city governments by attending meetings and keeping the partners informed on the hard work and achievements of the Coalition. Noel has recruited new volunteers for Adopt-A-Stream as well as for Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition's annual Rivers Alive cleanup. Norman Fagge, Excellence in Data Collection Village North Highlands Subdivision ~ Chattahoochee River Watershed Cobb County Watershed Stewardship Program Chemical, Bacterial and Macroinvertebrate Monitor Active Since 2012 ~ 15 Monitoring Events in 2015 Since April of 2012, Norman has conducted monthly monitoring on a tributary of Willeo Creek in the Village North Highlands subdivision in Marietta, GA. Collecting chemical, bacterial and macroinvertebrate data, Norman has developed a strong set of baseline data for his monitoring site. He has educated his neighbors about the health of their local stream. Understanding the importance of quality assurance and quality control, Norm stays on top of his yearly certifications and keeps his equipment well maintained. In addition to his regular monitoring, he participates in Cobb County's annual River Rendezvous event in which community members sample monitoring sites throughout the watershed in one day. William (Bill) Lott, Outstanding Outreach and Partnership Award Upper Chattahoochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited (UCCTU) Chemical and Bacterial Monitor Active Since 2011 ~ 13 Monitoring Events in 2015 Bill is the Conservation and Advocacy Chair for the UCCTU and exemplifies their mission to conserve, protect and restore the Chattahoochee's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Bill began monitoring with AAS in 2011 and now leads the Chapter's AAS efforts by engaging members in chemical and bacterial monitoring on the river's tributaries. In addition, Bill also chairs the Sweep the Hooch project, an annual Rivers Alive cleanup held in April with around 500 participants. The UCCTU partners with the National Park Service and Chattahoochee Riverkeeper to make this cleanup of over 70 miles of the Chattahoochee River a success. Congratulations to the 2015 Adopt-A-Stream Award Winners! continued... Beth Faircloth, Extraordinary Volunteer Watershed Effort Watershed Alliance of Sandy Springs ~ Chemical and Bacterial Monitor 3 Sites on Marsh Creek & 2 Sites on Long Island Creek Active Since 2013 ~ 148 Monitoring Events in 2015 Beth leads the Bacterial Monitoring Project as a volunteer with the Watershed Alliance of Sandy Springs. Beth developed a monitoring plan to expand the reach of the Watershed Alliance's monitoring efforts to include testing for additional water quality parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen and nutrients. Beth also leads teams of students in the Alliance's Creek Photo Inventory Project at two creek sites to collect photos and conduct field surveys. In addition to her work with the Alliance, Beth coordinates educational outreach projects with kindergarten through 9th grade students, explaining potential pollution sources, the effects of storm events on our waterways and methods to prevent nonpoint source pollution. Gwen Smith Watson, Red Flag Award Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Sandy Creek ~ Bacterial Monitor Active Since 2014 ~ 13 Monitoring Events in 2015 Gwen samples weekly at Sandy Creek in Atlanta, creating valuable baseline data for this location. On October 22, 2015, Gwen observed a strong odor and suds covering the surface of Sandy Creek. Gwen knew this could be a big problem! She took photos, carefully collected her sample and quickly notified Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. With high E. coli, conductivity and turbidity, all signs pointed to a sewage spill. After conducting follow up monitoring and investigation, officials found a broken pipe lying across the creek upstream of her monitoring site. Gwen's knowledge of what to do and who to contact when she detected a problem was vital in quickly finding the source of the sewage spill. Carrie Koenigstein, Cathy Reas Foster, Erika Hollis and Rocky Nation, Beyond Borders Award Chemical, Bacterial and Macroinvertebrate Monitors & Trainers Active Since 2013 Carrie (Anderson University), Rocky (Southern Wesleyan University), Erika (Upstate Forever) and Cathy (Clemson Extension Service) have worked together for the past four years to establish, coordinate and expand AAS into upstate South Carolina. The team has written grants to acquire funding as well as built and strengthened partnerships with local governments, universities and nonprofit organizations to support the volunteer monitoring effort in SC. All four are certified AAS trainers, coming to Georgia for meetings and to maintain their certifications each year. The team has hosted AAS workshops certifying over 100 volunteers who monitor more than 15 sites in SC. Help Us Find This Year's Award Winners! VOLUNTEER AWARDS Volunteer of the Year ~ Extraordinary Watershed Monitoring ~ Red Flag Award ~ Outstanding Outreach and Partnership Adopt-A-Stream Multimedia Award ~ Excellence in Data Collection ~ Nymph Award ~ Beyond Borders TRAINER AWARDS New Trainer of the Year ~ Trainer of the Year WATERSHED AWARDS Local public utilities, government agencies, regional commissions, nonprofits and watershed organizations See full award category descriptions and submit nominations all year on the AAS Awards Submission page at www.GeorgiaAdoptAStream.org. 2015 Adopt-A-Stream Trainer Awards Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman New Trainer of the Year Trainer Since 2014 2015: 25 Workshops ~ 227 Volunteers Certified Jesse is the Watershed Outreach Coordinator for Ogeechee Riverkeeper. After the 2011 fish kill on the Ogeechee, Jesse sees the AAS program as an effective way to unite citizens throughout the watershed around a shared purpose of protecting the precious Ogeechee. He especially enjoys teaching middle and high school students. He says, "Once young people become energized by a cause, their outreach potential is explosive as they pull in their friends and family to take part in their monitoring efforts." Most municipalities do not have the resources to monitor all waterways in their district. Therefore, Jesse works with the City of Savannah to expand the water quality monitoring coverage by strategically placing new monitoring sites around the city. Michael O'Shield Trainer of the Year Trainer Since 1999 2015: 35 Workshops ~ 313 Volunteers Certified Michael is the Public Education and Outreach Coordinator for the DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management. Since 1999, Michael has conducted 210 AAS workshops certifying nearly 2,000 citizens. When DeKalb volunteers begin monitoring, Michael joins them on their first monitoring events to ensure that they are comfortable with the area and the monitoring procedures. He reviews data entered by local volunteers into the AAS database and helps volunteers interpret their findings. In addition to AAS workshops, he also raises awareness of water quality issues with citizens of DeKalb County by attending community events and town halls as well as teaching school programs, rain barrel workshops, educator workshops and library programming throughout the county. Thank you, 2015 Legacy Trainers, for 10+ years of active service as AAS Trainers and for your dedication and enthusiasm! Ruth Eilers, Georgia College ~ Kate Mowbray, Sandy Creek Nature Center ~ Kevin Smith, Keep Forsyth Co. Beautiful 2015 Adopt-A-Stream Watershed Awards Georgia Adopt-A-Stream's annual Watershed Awards honor the efforts of local public utilities, government agencies, regional commissions, non-profits and watershed organizations that excelled in implementing the goals of AAS. The Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition, a 20-year old nonprofit, serves most of Towns and Union Counties in GA as well as Clay and Cherokee Counties in southwestern NC. They began AAS monitoring in 2012 and have grown to 32 volunteers monitoring more than 40 sites in 2015! The Coalition presents highlights of the data collected by their AAS volunteers alongside federal and state collected data to local government leaders and the public at their annual "State of the Water" event. Since beginning their AAS program in 2014, the Satilla Riverkeeper has grown their AAS program to 15 sites across the Satilla watershed. In 2015, the Satilla Riverkeeper launched their new Safe Summer Swimming Hole initiative where they monitor E. coli levels at seven popular swimming sites. Citizens can easily check the bacterial results at their favorite swimming hole through the Waterkeeper Alliance's publicly accessible Swim Guide application. Sandy Creek Nature Center is one of the many parks and facilities maintained by Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services. Since 2005, the Nature Center has been a stronghold of the AAS program in Athens. They conduct field studies and educational outreach programs for local school and homeschool groups, and have consistently collected chemical data at Sandy Creek for over 10 years. The Nature Center makes it easy for citizens to partner with their local government. Thank YOU for Making Confluence 2016 a Success! Wonderful! Great classes, great speaker, great food, FANTASTIC t-shirt! Great chances to interact with like- minded folks. Really educational, fun and a gathering to celebrate and connect! Love it. I had a great time. I learned about grant opportunities, streambank restoration and more training opportunities. I met new collaborators. Just the right mix of topics and activity. Excellent speakers. Great network connecting and resource development. Quotes from Confluence attendees via post-survey. See more photos from the conference on AAS's Facebook page! Save the date for next year's Confluence: March 24--25, 2017 Environmental & Heritage Center in Buford, GA Board Member Spotlight: Katherine Atteberry, Jacobs Engineering Group In the beginning, there was Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, and over 15 years ago that is where Katherine Atteberry started her career in the water industry. As one of Gwinnett County's Adopt-A-Stream coordinators, Katherine was an Adopt-AStream trainer, organized stream cleanups, and talked to the community about water quality protection. On some days as she was headed to work, it felt more like she was off to a day at summer camp instead of her full-time job. Today, Katherine is an Environmental Project Manager at Jacobs Engineering Group. She helps her clients interpret and satisfy the requirements of water management legislation, such as the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). While that seems to be quite a leap from the beginning, she is still closely linked to Georgia Adopt-A-Stream. Katherine has been able to remain active in the program through her Board membership. She also promotes AdoptA-Stream to clients as a valuable component of their stormwater management program as a way to facilitate community outreach and education. When she needs to get back to her roots, Katherine can be found as a volunteer organizing the Rivers Alive stream clean-up of South Fork Peachtree Creek for the Tucker Civic Association, talking to the community about water quality, and getting kids excited about protecting our streams and rivers. Congratulations to the 2016 Student Poster Competition Winners! UNDERGRADUATE WINNERS: Lara Gardner, Anderson University A Comparison of Two Aquatic Invertebrate Collection Methods in the Rocky River Water System Russell Maddrey, Berry College Establishing Baseline Water Quality Data Sets for Headwater Areas of the Coosa River Basin, Rome, GA HIGH SCHOOL WINNERS: Krystl Wood, Woodstock High School Use of Carbon Nanoparticles for Aqueous Heavy Metal Remediation Yr2 Ramie Williams, Eagles Landing Christian Academy Are There Dangerous Levels of Lead in Local Soil? Winners' abstracts and presentations are on the Science & News page! Want to be a part of this exciting contest next year? Check out the guidelines and resources on the Confluence page of the AAS website. Thanks to our Generous 2016 Confluence Sponsors! Shark's Tooth Beach House Edisto Island, SC Mountain Cabin Clayton, GA Steven Blackburn & Melissa Stevens For a complete list of event sponsors, visit the Confluence page at GeorgiaAdoptAStream.org. Upcoming Dates July 19-21: Become a Water Steward! Workshop and Training for Educators, AAS and Project WET, Stone Mountain (PLUs available) Deadline: July 5 (or until filled) Register: bit.ly/1sd6YEL July 31: Rivers Alive Cleanup Registration Deadline to be eligible for free t-shirts www.RiversAlive.org July 31: Georgia River Network Hidden Gem Paddle to Farm to Table, Coosawattee River www.garivers.org Visit our online calendar for monitoring workshops and AAS events! If you'd like to become an AAS trainer, please contact the State Office for workshop information. www.GeorgiaAdoptAStream.org Want to Organize a River Cleanup in your Neighborhood? The Rivers Alive website offers many resources to help you organize and promote a safe and fun cleanup in your community! Check out the homepage for links to `Tools for Organizing a Cleanup' as well as our Organizer's page for a FAQ guide, checklists and important documents to help your event run smoothly. Register your August to December cleanup by July 31st to be eligible for free t-shirts and promotional materials! Or, you can volunteer at an existing cleanup to help protect your local waterways! Head over to the `Locate a cleanup' page for a listing of upcoming cleanups. www.RiversAlive.org Volume 23, Number 2 April - June 2016 The preparation of the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream quarterly newsletter is financed in part through a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency under provisions of Section 319(h) of the Federal Clean Water Act of 1987, as amended. For more information about the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream program or to contribute to the newsletter, contact: Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Environmental Protection Division 2 MLK Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 1462 East Atlanta, GA 30334 404.651.8512 / 404.651.8513 GeorgiaAdoptAStream.org AAS Staff: Harold Harbert, Seira Baker and Chelsea Hopkins GO BLUE! Sign up for our e-newsletter by emailing us at AAS@dnr.ga.gov Dragonfly Riffle Beetle Dobsonfly Stonefly Net Spinning Caddisfly Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Receives Vision Award The Vision Award is presented to a monitoring council or group that has demonstrated extraordinary vision and cooperation in the field of water quality monitoring on a local or regional level. Georgia Adopt-A-Stream was recognized with the Vision Award at the biannual National Water Quality Monitoring Conference in May 2016. Georgia Adopt-A-Stream is a volunteer water quality monitoring program that encourages individuals and communities to monitor and improve sections of streams, wetlands, lakes and estuaries. In 2008, Georgia AAS launched its innovative, user-friendly and publicly accessible online database (www.GeorgiaAdoptAStream.org/db). The online database revolutionized the program; within two years the number of monitoring events per year doubled and has been increasing rapidly ever since. Active monitoring sites have grown from less than 200 in 2007 to over 650 sites in 2015! Georgia AAS continues to grow partnerships with over seventy government, nonprofit, university and local coordinators serving as leaders that implement the program in their communities. In the late 2000s, AAS strengthened its involvement with EPA's 319(h) grant program by developing training programs for grant awardees. Some of these programs collected regulatory level data for EPA 305(b) reports. Citizens from bordering states such as South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida have come to Georgia to be certified as trainers, taking the program back into their states, conducting workshops to certify new volunteers and using the Georgia AAS database to house their volunteers' data and certifications. A big thanks to all of the Adopt-A-Stream volunteers, trainers and partners! You make Georgia Adopt-A-Stream a success! Please visit our calendar at www.GeorgiaAdoptAStream.org for upcoming workshops and events!