STEWARDS OF OUR WATERWAYS
Looking for a great opportunity to get involved with a community-based environmental monitoring program right in your community? CreekWatch, a program by the non-profit RiverWatch Institute of Alberta is just what you’re looking for! CreekWatch connects communities with the science and stewardship relevant to their local natural areas and stormwater creeks empowering people to explore science by making it more familiar, accessible, and inclusive. Adult volunteers work in teams using portable water quality labs to research and answer the question “How healthy are our creeks?”
- Since 2014, CreekWatch has worked with corporate and community volunteers to collect water quality data, improve habitat and contribute to meaningful understanding of the management of our local waterways.
- Volunteers collect weekly data at walk-in sites along creeks entering the rivers flowing through the areas of Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer.
- CreekWatch is a community-capacity building program engaging participants to deliver measurable results while encouraging sustainable behavior changes to better protect our freshwater resources.
- Data comparisons help highlight stormwater impact upon our creeks throughout the open water season March-October and a report is published annually on World Water Day.
Science
CreekWatch engages volunteers in authentic science. Each volunteer team has the use of a portable water quality lab for collecting data on dissolved oxygen, phosphates, nitrates, chloride, pH, temperature and turbidity. CreekWatch provides the leadership, science instruction and equipment for a safe and quality experience.
