nheinzen September 13, 2021 0

2021 ‘Get Your Feet Wet’ Volunteer Stream Monitoring, Friday Sept. 24, 5-7pm. Sign up today!

The Stormwater Coalition is sponsoring a WAVE stream monitoring event on a small tributary of the Normanskill Creek. The stream is located in the City of Albany near the Normanskill Farm Trail Parking Lot.

The monitoring date and time is Friday, September 24, 5-6:30/7pm (dusk). If interested in participating, register by emailing or calling the Stormwater Coalition (swcoalition@albanycounty.com or 518-447-5645). You will need directions for where to meet, what to wear, and other details.

“WAVE” (Water Assessments by Volunteer Evaluators) is a stream monitoring method developed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC).

As a volunteer you’ll collect “stream bugs” using nets, assess habitat, and fill out forms describing how you might want to use the stream (fishing, swimming, etc.). Your data is then sent to NYSDEC scientists. The bugs, or macroinvertebrates, are the “canaries in a coal mine” which tell us if a stream is affected by pollution or not.

A Local WAVE Coordinator, Nancy Heinzen, from the Stormwater Coalition will lead this event and equipment and training is provided.

If the weather is threatening or rainy, the monitoring event will be rescheduled for Monday, September 27, 5-7pm (dusk). You will be contacted that day either by email, text, and/or phone call using the information provided once registered.

Although outdoors, as this will involve small group work, to protect unvaccinated participants, wear a mask.