Volunteer water monitors sought in Lycoming and Clinton counties for new Stream Team initiative

In partnership with the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM) out of Dickinson College, the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association is looking for volunteers in Lycoming and Clinton counties to join a new Stream Team monitoring effort in 2022.

Several dates have been set for those who wish to participate in the Lycoming/Clinton Stream Team effort, including a virtual information session from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8, an equipment pickup on Monday, Feb. 28, and an online training workshop from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22.

ALLARM’s Stream Team initiative is a program created and implemented in collaboration with county conservation districts, Riverkeeper organizations, and Penn State’s Master Watershed Stewards program. Stream Team engages volunteers in Pennsylvania and New York to collect water quality data on Susquehanna tributaries that can inform local, state, and regional approaches for improving watershed health.

Volunteers are expected to provide monthly monitoring over the course of one year on a specific stretch of waterway near their homes for temperature, nitrate-nitrogen levels, conductivity, pH and a visual assessment.

All necessary training and equipment are provided via the program.​

Express your interest in participating in the Lycoming/Clinton Stream Team program by clicking the button below.

Register now

What does it mean to be a Stream Team volunteer?

• Part of a small group of people interested in monitoring the health of local streams
• Conducts monthly data collection (2-4 hours per month for one year)
• Participates in a macroinvertebrate workshop (once a year)
• Maintains equipment and follows protocols as outlined in the monitoring manual
• Completes the data sheets and submits to ALLARM and Chesapeake Data Explorer
• Participates in quality control checks and follow-up meetings
• Stays in communication with ALLARM and other team members
• Has fun!

Why is the program important?

• Stream monitoring is a vital tool in assessing the health of the Susquehanna watershed
• and reviewing the progress of the Chesapeake Bay pollution blueprint
• To collect credible scientific data that can be used to make decisions
• about improving watersheds

How will the collected data be used?

• To establish a baseline understanding of local stream health
• To help inform potential follow-up decisions on a local and regional level
• Data will be uploaded to the Chesapeake Data Explorer database

Who will support the program and provide assistance?

• ALLARM provides monitoring support in multiple ways:
• Provides monitoring workshops and equipment training
• Assists in the process of site location for monitoring
• Coordinates follow-up meetings
• Manages and shares data

Stream Team partners include:

• Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association
• Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association
• County Conservation Districts
• Watershed Associations
• Master Watershed Stewards

When does it start and how long does it last?

• Monitoring starts after the training workshop and sites have been selected
• 12 months of chemical monitoring and 1 macroinvertebrate collection
• Additional monitoring parameters may be added if the baseline data shows a need for further analysis (second year) and monitoring interest is sustained

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You can learn more about the ALLARM Stream Team effort by checking out its online monitoring manual.

For more information, contact ALLARM director Julie Vastine via email at vastine@dickinson.edu or Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky at midsusriver@gmail.com