Stream Team

Miami Valley Stream Team

The Miami Valley Stream Team is a volunteer water quality monitoring program. MCD manages the program in the Great Miami River Watershed to increase public awareness of water quality issues and concerns by training volunteers to monitor stream water quality. Miami Valley Stream Team collaborates with agencies and volunteers to:

• Increase public involvement in water quality issues through hands-on training of volunteers in stream monitoring and clean-up activities.
• Educate local communities about the relationship between land use and water quality.
• Provide water quality information to citizens and organizations working to protect rivers and streams.

 Water Quality Monitoring
Trend monitoring is the primary testing method used by Miami Valley Stream Team. To get an accurate picture of a stream's water quality, tests have to be performed on a regular basis over a period of years. Trend monitoring provides a broad view of the stream, allowing the seasonal variations to be sorted out from long-term changes. To get useful data for trend analysis, a group should consider the long-term commitment involved in this type of monitoring.

How Do Volunteers Get Started? 
To become a trained volunteer, we recommend you attend a Miami Valley Stream Team training workshop. Workshops are free, open to the public and provide hands-on monitoring experience.

Training introduces citizens and educators to water quality monitoring utilizing habitat, chemical and biological assessment methods. The training focuses on the use of chemical testing kits, seine nets, and quality assurance and control techniques for good data collection. The sessions are about six hours long and take place both indoors and outdoors. Volunteers are then able to perform stream testing and teach others how to monitor.

Contact Sarah Hippensteel Hall at (937) 223-1271 for a current training schedule.