River Watch at Pace’s Mill
The Haw River Watch Project, sponsored by the Haw River Assembly, gives us a clearer picture of the health of the Haw River by determining the type and location of pollution sources. The heart of this effort are four seasonal “snapshots” performed each year. River Watch volunteers fan out across the tributaries and riverbanks of the Haw to check on the health of the water. Teams are trained and equipped to monitor water quality through aquatic insect counts (and other critters in the water), pH tests, temperature and observations. We use the information to get a picture of the river in each season and to track any changes over time. Volunteers act as guardians of their streams, notifying the proper authorities if pollution is suspected.
Interested in becoming a River Watcher? We will train you or your group. We ask River Watchers to join the Haw River Assembly, and to contribute the cost of their equipment if they can. For more information contact: Cynthia Crossen, Haw River Watch Coordinator, (919) 967-2500, riverwatch@hawriver.org .
Read the Haw River Watch Monitoring Report 2011, which provides data that the Haw River Watch Project has collected through December 2011. Thanks to all the River Watchers who have made it possible!
These How To Be A River Watcher presentations and tutorials teach you how to monitor your creek.
How To Be A River Watcher
1 – Overview of Watershed Issues
2 – Introduction to Haw River Watch
3 – Completing River Watch Survey Section A
4 – Collecting Macroinvertebrates
5 – Identifying Macroinvertebrates
6 – Filling Out River Watch Survey Section B
River Watch Resources
Macroinvertebrate Identification Sheet
Macroinvertebrate Identification Tutorial Demo
Heptageniidae Mayfly
Documentary on the Haw River Watch project In the spring of 2008, UNC-CH Journalism student Ru Sha put together this three-minute video, shot at our March 29, 2008 Macro-Micro Workshop on the Haw River in Bynum.
N.C. Division of Water Quality home page
U.S. EPA’s pages on Biological Indicators (follow links for good info, reference sites, pictures)
Publications and Websites for River Watchers