Adopt-a-stream, Vol. 8, no. 5 (Sept./Oct. 2001)

GEORGIA
Adopt-A-Stream
Volume 8, Number 5, September / October 2001 Michele Droszcz and Harold Harbert, Editors
Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division
National Geographic Aqua Heroes Award
Thanks to Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's nomination, Marietta Middle School 6th graders, led by teacher Rodney Petty, will be highlighted in the October issue of National Geographic World magazine as Aqua Heroes. The students were chosen as one of three winning groups across the nation. We are very proud of their hard work and dedication to clean up and reclaim Rock Creek--a creek that flows through the school property.
During the 1999-2000 school year, students removed trash and debris and planted native plants along the streambank to restore the natural beauty of the creek. Students removed several logs that were clogging the creek and causing the schoolyards to flood on a regular basis. A walkway was created along the creek and students worked with a professor from Georgia Tech University to re-route the creek to create a better flow.
In 2000-2001, students constructed a rock garden along Rock Creek, which has served as an excellent location for outdoor class activities. Recently, the students worked with several volunteers to restore the streambank by installing Bio-Logs (a coconut fiber, environmentally friendly log) along with Bio-Blankets to provide more shore for the creek bank. Volunteers added riprap, backfill and replanted the banks with willow cuttings. In the near future, the students will plant winterberry bushes and other native plants along the creek bank.
The reclamation of Rock Creek has been an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to the students the importance of becoming active stewards of their local waterways. This project exemplifies how students can play a crucial part in the preservation and protection of our natural resources for future generations.
Funding Your Monitoring Effort
Georgia Adopt-A-Stream volunteer monitoring groups have many creative ways for obtaining funds to purchase chemical kits, nets, boots and safety equipment. Since a complete set of monitoring equipment costs about $500, groups often partner with a local business to sponsor their monitoring team. Other groups have written mini-grants to their local Extension office or Soil and Water Conservation District. Many groups have received grants from Wal-Mart and Home Depot. Wal-Mart has recently confirmed that they have $500 grants available for groups participating in local environmental projects. For continually updated information on funding sources, visit the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream website at www.riversalive.org/aas.htm.

Storm-Drain Marking in Chatham County
by Courtney Reich, Coordinator, Chatham County Adopt-A-Stream
The Countywide Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program was launched July 26th in Chatham County. Volunteers from the University of Georgia Sea Camp helped to glue tiles with a "No Dumping Drains to Waterways" message on storm drains in the Halcyon Bluff area. Door hangers were placed on local houses to inform residents about the program and to let them know how they can help to prevent stormwater pollution. The main objective of the program is to raise public awareness about stormwater pollution and watershed protection.
The EPA has stated that non-point source pollution is the number one threat to water quality in the nation. Unfortunately, non-point source pollution is, by its nature, almost impossible to target since it comes from everywhere. The only solution is prevention through public education and outreach. Most of the public is only marginally aware that water pollution can come from them as well as industry, and many people still believe that the water that enters storm drains is treated before it reaches local waterways. Chatham County Adopt-A-Stream has begun this effort in order to inform the public about these issues, and to try to stop stormwater pollution before it starts.
Storm drain marking has become a popular watershed protection tool in recent years, and evidence is pouring in from around the country that it truly makes a difference. Studies in Wisconsin, Oregon and Washington have shown that 75% of the people who lived in areas where the storm drains had been marked knew where their stormwater went. In areas where there had been no marking, less than one third of the people knew the correct destination of their stormwater. A good example of a positive change that resulted from storm drain marking comes from the Jackson Bottoms Wetland Preserve in Oregon. A major litter problem was averted when a local student marked a culvert that led to the wetland. It was later evident that this culvert had been a serious source of debris to the Jackson Bottoms Wetland Preserve (Earth-water Stencils Web Site, 1997).
Lastly, storm drain marking is a wonderful way for children and adults to get involved in their communities and help protect their local environment. Getting out into the local neighborhoods and seeing the storm drains and the debris in and around them, as well as the outfall pipes in local waterways, helps volunteers to really understand the problem. A storm drain marking event makes an enjoyable community service or classroom project.
Chatham County Adopt-A-Stream intends to mark all storm drains in Chatham County with the hopes that eventually all citizens will know that they can be the solution to stormwater pollution. For more information on the Countywide Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program please contact Courtney Reich @ (912) 651-1454 or email creich@thempc.org.

WANTED: A Chance To Recognize Our Volunteers

Georgia Adopt-A-Stream is looking for volunteers who have done extraordinary work to educate their community or protect their stream, river, lake or wetland. Volunteers who are nominated and selected will be recognized at the Environmental Education Alliance Conference at Unicoi State Park on March 23, 2002. The official call for nominations will not take place until January, so you still have time to put your projects together!

The award categories are...

Adopt-A-Stream in Action: Video or Photography Extraordinary Volunteer Watershed Effort Excellence in Data Collection

Outstanding Outreach and Partnership Volunteer of the Year Red Flag Award

Adopt-A-Stream Calendar of Events
The following workshops, taught by certified AAS trainers, provide training in visual, biological and chemical monitoring of streams. Please call to register

What
Biological Chemical Chemical Getting Started w/ AAS Chemical Biological Biological Getting Started w /AAS Biological Chemical / Biological

Who
Upper Oconee Watershed Network Fulton County AAS City of Roswell AAS Upper Etowah River Alliance Upper Etowah River Alliance Clayton County AAS Fulton County AAS Peavine Watershed Alliance City of Roswell AAS Peavine Watershed Alliance

When
Sept 22 Sept 22 Sept 29 Oct 6 Oct 13 Nov 3 Nov 10 Nov 10 Nov 10 Nov 17

Where
Athens South Fulton Roswell Canton Canton Clayton County South Fulton Peavine Watershed Roswell Peavine Watershed

To Register
706-613-3615 770-698-5739 770-641-3715 770-735-2778 770-735-2778 678-422-2838 770-698-5739 404-508-7603 770-641-3715 404-508-7603

NOTE: Workshop times vary. Please call to get exact times and locations. Workshop information is updated weekly on our website at www.riversalive.org/aas.htp

There's more! AAS workshops are conducted throughout the State. Call one of these numbers to learn about upcoming workshops in your region of the State.

Where
Coastal GA West GA Central GA Southwest GA South GA

Who
Dr. Joe Richardson Dr. Becky Champion Beth Hohnadel Dr. William Tietjen Dr. David Hedgepeth

To Register
912-356-2809 706-687-4090 706-444-9820 912-931-2253 912-333-5611

E-mail
richards@tigerpaw.ssu.peachnet.edu champion_becky@colstate.edu ejhohnadel@hotmail.com wlt@canes.gsw.edu dhedgepe@valdosta.edu

QA/QC Recertification: All QA/QC volunteers must renew certification on a yearly basis. This can be accomplished by participating in the second half of our regular chemical or biological workshop. To register, please contact one of our scheduled workshops.

What's Up In The Mountains?
By: Shannon Larsen/HRWC
The Hiawassee River Watershed Coalition Inc. has had a great response to our Adopt-A-Stream program. A few months ago, Henry Angelopulos was hired to head up the HRWC Adopt-A-Stream program. We needed someone devoted to Adopt-A-Stream since we have had such a high demand in our rural area. This year, have conducted three Chemical and three Biological workshops, training more than thirty students. (Our age range of interest runs from sixteen to ninety-two!) Everyone has had a wonderful experience and many have gone on to monitor one or more of our beautiful mountain trout streams. We are planning to have another set of Chemical and Biological training classes this Fall. If you reside in, or visit, Towns, Union, or any of the other surrounding counties and are interested in participating in our next Adopt-A-Stream workshop, please contact the Hiawassee River Watershed Coalition at 1467 Mining Gap Trail, Young Harris, GA 30582, (706) 896-8091 or cleanh2o@alltel.net

What Is QA/QC?
A Quality Assurance Plan is essentially a detailed account of who is collecting data, how the data is being collected and what types of controls are in place to ensure that the data is of the highest possible quality. The quality controls included in the Georgia Adopt-AStream Quality Assurance Plan are annual certification training, the use of specific test kits, annual replacement of kit reagents and double sampling when doing chemical monitoring.
Georgia Adopt-A-Stream has an EPA approved volunteer monitoring Quality Assurance Project Plan. Since there are volunteers all over the State who collect data, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream must do its best to train volunteers and instill the importance of collecting data according to the designed Georgia Adopt-AStream protocols. If you have any questions about the data collection protocols or quality controls, please call us at 404-675-1636 or 1639.
The Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Newsletter is published six times per year. For more information about the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream program or to contribute to the newsletter, call or write to: Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Environmental Protection Division 4220 International Parkway, Suite 101 Atlanta, GA 30354 (404) 675-1639 www.riversalive.org/aas.htm
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