Adopt-a-stream, Vol. 9, no. 2 (Mar./Apr. 2002)

GEORGIA
Adopt-A-Stream

Volume 9, Number 2, March / April 2002 Michele Droszcz and Harold Harbert, Editors

Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division

Congratulations to This Year's Adopt-A-Stream Award Recipients

Our Volunteer of the Year is Duncan Cottrell. Duncan has been a chemical workshop trainer for 3 years. As the manager of a water quality lab, Duncan brings water chemistry expertise to the Adopt-A-Stream program. He has assisted the program at the State level to test new equipment and choose chemical testing parameters. Last year, Duncan became the coordinator of the Upper Etowah Adopt-A-Stream program. As a volunteer, Duncan provides the communities of the Upper Etowah with training and water quality expertise.

Friends of Sapelo Island received the award for

Excellence In Data Collection. This group has been active since 1997, maintaining their QA/QC

Describing water chemistry is nothing new for Duncan Cottrell

certification and collecting consistent data on

Cathead Creek, Hudson Creek and Harris Neck

Creek. Congratulations on your organized and consistent data collection efforts!

The Red Flag Award is given to a

person who demonstrates perseverance,

environmental awareness, a keen

understanding of water related policy

and a desire to act when a problem is

detected. Dr. Jud Ready possesses all

of these attributes and more. In July

2001, Dr. Ready reported a serious

erosion and sediment run-off problem

on his stream, Underwood Brook. The

video that he made was very

instrumental in forcing the City of

Atlanta to issue stop work orders to two

offending developments. One

development corrected the problem but

the other did not. Through Dr. Ready's

diligence in this matter, the offending

development has been fined due to their

Jud Ready pokes around in his favorite watering hole

inaction.

Robyn Ray, from Pickens County, is an individual who deserves to be recognized for her Extraordinary Volunteer Watershed Effort. Robyn formed a water quality and advocacy group, which focuses on Talking Rock Creek watershed. Robyn has worked with landowners, companies, local government and small businesses to reduce erosion and nonpoint sources of pollution. Robyn has promoted AAS and water quality awareness through newspaper articles, speaking at community meetings and posting displays at local festivals and will soon begin training citizens in AAS.
Talking the talk for Talking Rock Creek is easy for Robyn Ray Mary Sweeney-Reeves, with UGA Marine Extension on Skidaway Island, was presented with the Outstanding Outreach and Partnership award. Over the past year, Mary has created the Coastal Georgia AdoptA-Wetland program to address the need for protocols to monitor Georgia's tidal wetlands and beaches. Mary reached out to the Adopt-AStream Coastal Regional Training Center at Savannah State, the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium, the Savannah/Chatham County Metropolitan Planning Commission and the State Adopt-A-Stream to solicit input and create partnerships. Since September, St. Andrew's School, Tybee 4-H Center, Tybee Island Marine Science Center, Clean Coast and Georgia Port Authority have joined the coastal monitoring effort.

Mary Sweeney-Reeves demonstrates coastal monitoring

Courtney Reich, Water Resources Planner for Savannah/Chatham County Metropolitan Planning Commission, best captured Adopt-A-Stream In Action with her video for the Coastal Adopt-A-Wetland program. The video provides general information and scenes of coastal salt marshes along with footage of volunteers participating in a chemical and biological workshop. The video will be used in the Adopt-A-Wetland workshops and shown on GPTV.

Courtney Reich does her part to promote clean water

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 & Biological Chemical Biological Getting Started w/AAS Chemical Getting Started w/AAS Chemical

Who
Georgia Wildlife Federation UOWN / Sandy Creek Nature Ctr. Clayton County Water Authority Fulton County Adopt-A-Stream Coosawattee Watershed Coosawattee Watershed Upper Etowah River Alliance Upper Etowah River Alliance

When
March 23 March 30 March 30 April 6 April 20 April 27 May 18 May 25

Where
Covington Athens Wetlands Center North Fulton Talking Rock Talking Rock Canton Canton

To Register
770-787-7887 706-613-3615 678-422-2838 770-698-5739 770-894-2369 770-894-2369 770-735-2778 770-735-2778

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.htm
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.

Free Replacement Reagents For Monitoring Groups
All active monitoring programs can apply for free replacement reagents through a program sponsored by the Environmental Education Alliance and Georgia Adopt-A-Stream. International Paper is providing funding for the monitoring equipment. Please download an application at www.riversalive.org/aas.htm

Local and State Happenings
There will be an Adopt-A-Lake workshop on March 23 from 10 to 3 pm at Clayton College and State University. RSVP Kim Zimmerman, 678-422-2838.
Participate in Adopt-A-Stream demonstrations at the Clayton County Wetland Center Earth Day celebration, April 20, 2002, from 9 am to 2 pm.
Adopt-A-Stream comes to Coosawattee Watershed! Splash off on Earth Day April 13 in Ellijay, call Robyn Ray at 770-894-2369.

Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Workshop Trainers of 2001
Katherine Atteberry, Katy Austin, Jeffrey Boring, Ginny Brady, Trevor Carlson, Becky Champion, Duncan Cottrell, Ellie Covington, Sharon Cowden, Deatra
Denion, Kristen Desmarais, Linda Dietz, Christina Dolan, Sue Eggert, Elisabeth Elder, Erin Feichtner, Aimee Gaddis, Trey Gibbs, Steve Golladay, Lucy Cole
Gratton, David Hartis, Lee Hartle, Diana Hartle, Fred Hay, Darren Hughes, Susan Hurd, Mohamed Khalequzzama, Charles Krick, Jeffery Lamar, Joe Lambrix, Eric
Lindberg, David Llewellyn, John Maddox, Jennifer McCoy, Donna McDowell, Melanie Melancon, Michael O'Shield, Kenny Peavy, Robert Phillips, Dana Poole, Alan Power, Robyn Ray, Todd Recicar, Courtney Reich, Joe Richardson, Kristi
Rose, Chris Skelton, Adam Sukenick, Mary Sweeney-Reeves, Paul Thomas, William Tietjen, P. Claire Tucker, John Ward, Brian Wiley, Lance Wilhelm,
Catherine Young and Kim Zimmerman

Stream Buffers and Wetlands, Landscape Functions and Values to Our Waters 1st Annual "Surf and Turf"
The purpose of this conference is to focus on buffers and wetlands and their functions in urban and rural settings. The goal of the conference is to provide tools and opportunities for citizens and agency representatives to cooperate and participate in efforts that improve water quality using wetlands, buffers and citizen monitoring. Tentatively, the regional conference has been scheduled for September 5-7, 2002, at the University of Georgia Continuing Education Center in Athens, Georgia.
This conference is being sponsored by the Georgia Stream Buffer Initiative and is funded by Environmental Protection Agency (Region IV and 319 Program) and Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. The conference is being organized by an interagency partnership representing Upper Ocmulgee River Resource Conservation and Development Council, USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, USDACSREES, University of Georgia, Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Society, Auburn Marine Extension, Alabama Water Watch, ADEM, UGA Marine Extension, Kentucky Water Watch, South Carolina DHEC, Tennessee Valley Authority, TN Clean Water Network, NC State Extension Service and the Southern Region Extension Water Quality Planning.
If you or your organization is interested in additional information on the conference, submitting an abstract or assisting in the planning of this event, please contact:
Brandon Anderson, Georgia Stream Buffer Initiative Coordinator, UGA Driftmier Engineering Center, Athens, GA 30602-4435, phone 706-202-7098, upperocmulgee@yahoo.com
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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