Family Stream Training: Haw River Assembly

Join Haw Riverkeeper Emily Sutton of the Haw River Assembly for a stream health investigation in City Park on March 18th from 1-3pm.

Meet at the TJ Sports shelter (amusement parking lot) and we’ll have a brief intro and walk over to the creek. We’ll learn the importance of river and stream health and how to gauge river health using science tools! We will use chemistry test kits to monitor different levels of pH in the river and understand what that means for the critters living below the surface. Participants have the opportunity to learn about the aquatic insects living in our streams and how they reflect water quality. Plan to walk through shallow rocks of the creek with nets to find these critters and dress appropriately!

This event is open to adults and children of all ages.

Interested in monitoring your own streams? We encourage you to participate in Haw River Assembly’s River Watch Project! This project gives us a clearer picture of the health of the Haw River by determining the type and location of pollution sources. The heart of this effort are four seasonal “snapshots” performed annually. River Watch volunteers fan out across the tributaries and riverbanks of the Haw to check water health. Teams are trained and equipped to monitor water quality through aquatic critter counts, pH tests, temperature and observations. We use this information to get a picture of the river in each season and track any changes over time. Volunteers act as guardians of their streams, notifying the proper authorities if they suspect pollution! We ask all River Watchers to join the Haw River Assembly and contribute the cost of their equipment (HRA membership is included in equipment costs).

For more information email Emily at emily@hawriver.org.