Adopt-A-Stream
AAS is a unique effort to involve public and local communities in water quality protection. AAS is a Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division program designed to protect the quality of water of the 70,000 miles of streams and rivers in Georgia using citizen monitoring teams.
To adopt a section of a stream, river or lake, volunteers must attend a workshop hosted by one of the more than 50 trainers throughout the state. Group members must be recertified annually by their local trainer to continue monitoring their local waterway.
For an updated listing of current Adopt-A-Stream workshops, check out the website or call 404-675-1636 or 404-675-1639
Goals of Georgia Adopt-A-Stream
- Increase public awareness of the state's nonpoint source pollution and water quality issues
- Provide citizens with the tools and training to evaluate and protect their local waterways
- Encourage partnerships between citizens and their local government
- Collect quality baseline water quality data
Levels of Involvement of Adopt-A-Stream
Getting Started
- Register your stream, wetland or lake with Georgia Adopt-A-Stream
- Notify your local government
- Decide who will receive your data
- Find local partners in your community
- Develop a “Who To Call” list
- Conduct at least one cleanup
- Conduct at least one outreach activity
Visual Stream Monitoring
When do you conduct visual stream monitoring?
Conduct visual and physical evaluation of stream conditions on a quarterly basis
Why is visual monitoring important?
Most of the critical water pollutants and habitat damage can be detected through the visual survey, i.e. sedimentation, erosion, excessive nutrients.
When should you conduct visual stream monitoring activities?
Quarterly or once every season
Chemical Monitoring
What do you monitor in Chemical Adopt-A-Stream?
The basic tests are pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature and settleable solids. Advanced tests include phosphates, nitrates, ammonia, alkalinity, and conductivity
Why is it important to conduct chemical tests on your local waterway?
All of the tests will give you a snapshot of the health of your local waterway. For instance, dissolved oxygen is needed for respiration, temperature is directly related to biological activity and pH measures the acidity or alkalinity of the water. Phosphates and nitrates are nutrients that cause algal blooms when present in excess
How often do you need to conduct these chemical tests?
Once a month
Biological Monitoring
What is biological monitoring?
Biological monitoring is sampling an inventory of macroinvertebrates in your local stream
Why is this type of monitoring important?
Macroinvertebrates living in the stream can tell you the overall health of the stream. It is important to find a diversity of macroinvertebrates and the presence of macroinvertebrates indicate both water and habitat quality.
When should you conduct your biological monitoring?
Quarterly or once every season
