The Penn State Master Watershed Steward Program teamed up with the Alliance for Aquatic Research and Monitoring (ALLARM) through Dickinson College in 2018.
This partnership allows the stewards to receive training and equipment to conduct water quality monitoring on a local waterway of their choosing.
This data is critical in helping to assess any possible water quality changes that may occur due to land uses or other impacts.
ALLARM created the Stream Team Program and held the first training program in York County. The York County Master Watershed Stewards helped launch this program along with the Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association.
Additional collaborations with the MWS program and other environmental organizations have allowed the program to expand throughout the years.
Approximately 125 volunteers are involved with the Stream Team throughout the state, covering 68 active monitoring sites.
Master Watershed Stewards currently monitor sites within Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, Bradford, Wyoming, Westmoreland, and York counties.
The stewards involved in this program are actively helping preserve our water quality.
Each month, every pair of stewards test their chosen site for various water quality parameters, including pH, conductivity, water clarity, water level, nitrates, and more.
This data is recorded and can be shared with local watershed associations, conservation districts, or other concerned citizens.
Collecting this data consistently each month allows these Stream Team members to recognize issues and notify the proper agency quickly.
After a year of data collection, the members analyze the data and start looking for trends and patterns that can be used to try and predict future issues.
The Stream Team members are required to undergo thorough and continuous quality control/quality assurance training when they begin the program and yearly.
This QA/QC protocol is essential for any successful stream monitoring program by ensuring the data is reliable and gathered correctly.
This process includes internal and external quality control to ensure accurate testing procedures.
Internal consists of collecting duplicate samples and comparing the test values, and external consists of comparing the results to those done by ALLARM in their laboratory.
The data collected through ALLARM's Stream Team Program helps local community members better understand the health of their waterways, which can inform municipalities, counties, and states.
Many sites and streams have been inconsistently monitored or have not been monitored recently (or at all) by state agencies.
This program fills in spatial and temporal gaps in data collection in diverse watersheds across the state.
The standardized program enables ALLARM to create this network across a substantial geographic region and ensure that volunteers use quality methodologies under the ALLARM/CMC/QC umbrella.
Participants enter their data into a database system that helps integrate volunteer monitoring data into other assessment and management strategies.
For more information, visit Dickinson College’s Alliance for Aquatic Research and Monitoring webpage.
Visit the Penn State Master Watershed Steward Program webpage to learn more about this program.
(Reprinted from the Penn State Extension Watershed Winds newsletter. Click Here to sign up for your own copy-- bottom of page.)
Upcoming Extension Events
-- Penn State Extension: Upcoming Training And Events For Agriculture Conservationists
-- Penn State Extension 5-Part Backyard Stream Repair Webinar Series Starting Aug. 27
-- Penn State Center For Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training Hosts 3-Part Conservation Cornerstone Webinar Series For Ag Professionals Starting Aug. 27 [PaEN]
-- September 24: Penn State Extension Hosts Webinar On Community Forestry - TreeKeeper - A Tool For Tree Canopy Management [PaEN]
-- September 24-- Penn State Extension Local Comprehensive Plans In PA Webinar, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
-- September 26-- York Master Watershed Stewards Host Tap Talk - Preserving York County Landscapes & Waterways With The Farm & Natural Lands Trust [PaEN]
-- October 1: Penn State Extension Introduction To On-Lot Septic Systems Webinar. Noon to 1:00 p.m.
-- October 7-9: Penn State Extension’s Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training ‘Ag Conservation Keystone Training’ in-person workshop. Penn State’s University Park campus.
-- October 15: Penn State Extension Installation/Permitting On-Lot Septic Systems Webinar. Noon to 1:00 p.m.
-- October 15-17: Penn State Extension’s Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training ‘Ag Conservation Keystone Training’ in-person workshop. Penn State Hazleton.
-- October 16: Dept. Of Health Focus Group Sessions - How Water Well Owners Prepare, Respond To Emergencies
-- October 17: Penn State Extension Webinar - Adenosine Triphosphate In Algal Bloom Tracking [PaEN]
-- October 19-- Swatara Watershed Assn., Master Watershed Stewards Host Waterways On Wheels - Swatara Rail Trail In Schuylkill County [PaEN]
-- October 28-30: Penn State Extension’s Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training ‘Ag Conservation Keystone Training’ in-person workshop. Penn State Beaver
-- October 29: Penn State Extension Maintenance of On-Lot Septic Systems Webinar. Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Resource Links:
-- Penn State Extension Watershed Friendly PA Certification
-- Penn State Extension: Why Did My Young Riparian Buffer Tree Die?
-- Penn State Extension: Guide Provides Advice On Managing Spotted Lanternfly
-- Penn State Extension: Shade Tree Commission Spotlight - Lewisburg Borough
-- Penn State Extension: High School Students Learn About Tree Care
-- Penn State Extension: Arborist Short Course Series Starting Oct. 7
-- Penn State Extension: Is That Vine Damaging My Tree?
Related Articles This Week - Watersheds:
-- October Is Riparian Buffer Month! Celebrate Trees And Streams! [PaEN]
-- Stroud Center Honors Bestselling Author Of Four Fish, Paul Greenberg., With Freshwater Excellence Award [PaEN]
-- Coalition For The Delaware River Watershed Celebrates $17.3 Million In National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Grants To Improve The Health Of The Delaware River Watershed [PaEN]
-- Southwestern PA Water Network Hosts Sept. 28 Confluence At Mingo Creek - A Celebration Of Watersheds In PA's Ohio River Watershed [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Invites 2nd Round Of Nutrient Pollution Reduction Proposals As Part Of Conowingo Dam 'Pay-for-Success' Program; Webinar Set For Oct. 9 [PaEN]
-- Interfaith Partners For The Chesapeake Bay Hosts 3-Part Online Faithfull Green Leaders Training Program Starting Oct. 14 [PaEN]
-- Lancaster Clean Water Partners Host Oct. 21 MS4 Stormwater Forum In Manheim [PaEN]
-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Special Report: Local Experts All Agree, Hellbenders Need Better Protection - Sign The Petition To Protect The Hellbender [PaEN]
-- PA Dept. Of Health Seeks Participants In Oct. 16 Online Focus Group Sessions On How Private Water Well Owners Prepare, Respond To Emergencies Impacting Their Wells [PaEN]
-- Call For Presentations! Bucknell University 2024 River Symposium Nov. 8-9 [PaEN]
-- National Museum Of Industrial History Hosts Immersive VR Experiences On Industrial History For Lehigh Watershed Explorers Starting Sept. 21 [PaEN]
-- Exploding Water Well Shed Triggers DEP Investigation Of 59+ Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In Cyclone, McKean County; Highlights Limits On Providing Temporary Water For Well Owners Impacted [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Communications Earth & Environment Journal: Treating Abandoned Mine Drainage Can Protect Streams Cost Effectively And Benefit Vulnerable Communities [Pennsylvania Program] - By University of Pittsburgh, Kenyon College
-- Kleinfelder: Morris Run Active Abandoned Mine Drainage Treatment Facility To Benefit Water Quality In Tioga River
-- Tribune-Democrat: Shade Creek Watershed Assn. Celebrates 25th Anniversary Sept. 21
-- Still Time To Register! Delaware River Watershed Forum Sept. 26-27 In Bethlehem, PA
-- Save The Date! Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance, Bucknell University To Host Abandoned Mine Pools As Beneficial Resource Conference June 4 - 5, 2025
-- Schuylkill Action Network Newsletter Highlights Work Group Updates; Upcoming Events; Partner Resources; Healthy Lands Week; Grant Opportunities
-- DelcoToday.com: Aqua PA Aids Schuylkill River Restoration Fund With Grants To Tackle Pollution, Enhance Water Quality
-- Positive Energy Hub: CNX Resources & EIP Offer Environmental Credits Through Blacksville Stream And Wetland Mitigation Bank
-- EPA’s 12th Annual SepticSmart Week: Do Your Part, Be SepticSmart!
[Posted: September 20, 2024] PA Environment Digest
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