Volunteers from the Watershed Watch program URI have monitored water quality in local ponds, rivers and streams for 25 years, giving us tremendous insight into how climate and man affect the health of these water bodies.
The program needs additional volunteers to collect water and measure parameters in Charlestown and around the state. This will be my fifth year of volunteering for Watershed Watch and I have found it extremely interesting and rewarding.
Rhode Island has one of the nation's most extensive databases of water quality information, thanks in large part to volunteers in the URI Watershed Watch program.
URI Watershed Watch is a statewide volunteer water quality monitoring program. Trained program volunteers conduct field monitoring every week between May and October. Once a week on a day of their choice, volunteers monitor for water clarity and temperature. Every two weeks they also monitor algae concentrations and dissolved oxygen. On several designated dates, volunteers collect water samples that are analyzed at URI for nutrients, acidity and bacteria. Many volunteers work in teams to share their monitoring duties.
An introduction to the Watershed Watch program and classroom training for new Watershed Watch volunteers will be held Saturday, March 31 at 9 a.m. and repeated Thursday, April 5 at 6 p.m. in Weaver Auditorium in the Coastal Institute building on URI's Kingston campus. Required field training will take place on several Saturdays in April.
Volunteers come from all walks of life and are of all ages, occupations, educational backgrounds and interests. Each potential volunteer is matched to a specific location that they will be in charge of monitoring. Since ponds and lakes are monitored at their deepest point, a boat, canoe or kayak is needed, as well as some free time once a week in the middle of the day.
Here is the list of lakes in Charlestown requiring volunteers: Cross Mills Pond, Green Hill Pond, King Tom Pond, Maple Lake, Ninigret Pond, Quonochontaug Pond, Perry Pond and Saw Mill Pond. The complete statewide list may be viewed here.
For more information or to register for the training sessions, contact Watershed Watch Program Coordinator Elizabeth Herron at 401-874-4552 or by email. Visit the program's web site here for detailed information about the program.