Join the team of SC Adopt-A-Stream trainers and volunteers as they celebrate their program's 5th Anniversary and communicate their success.
Each year, we compile data about who is attending workshops, who is monitoring and where, how much time volunteers are contributing to water quality monitoring, how volunteer monitoring has led to watershed action, and much more. This information helps us understand how the program is growing and changing and evaluate areas for continued outreach and development. 2021 marked SC Adopt-a-Stream’s fourth full year as a statewide volunteer water quality monitoring program. We’re excited to share some of the year’s successes and stories with volunteers actively sampling from the mountains to the coast!
View the 2021 Report
After receiving an EPA Award to develop the Tidal Saltwater Monitoring protocol in 2019, we officially certified our first Saltwater Trainers and launched the program along the coast in 2021. The program is actively growing with volunteers becoming certified, adopting sites, and contributing data!
Volunteer Trish, with Gills Creek Watershed Association, noticed bacteria results for her site dropped to zero, in unusual contrast to normal conditions. The water also had a chlorine smell. With help of SC AAS staff, they discovered a ruptured drinking water line upstream. The City of Columbia repaired the line, and the stream and aquatic habitat are recovering!
The Clemson Stream Team were awarded the Champions of Citizen Science for Lake Hartwell Award by the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce, and two student monitors were awarded Outstanding Youth Awards by the Richland Soil & Water Conservation District!
Volunteer and Trainer Gerardo noticed excessive sediment appearing in the North Saluda River and sent photos to SC AAS staff. A DHEC regional officer then contacted an upstream agricultural landowner, who was grateful for the notification and installed silt fencing to reduce sedimentation!
Current and former SC Adopt-a-Stream volunteers are asked to participate in our annual Volunteer Motivation Survey. The information we collect teaches us more about what drives volunteers to join and stay in the program, and it enables us to better manage the program to suit our volunteers' interests and stewardship objectives.
View Survey Results
