Pearl Riverkeeper
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Calling all Water Lovers!

Become a Pearl Riverkeeper Water Steward!
​You get all the equipment and training you need to learn about and protect our waterways.
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Become a citizen scientist, conduct water quality sampling, learn about watershed issues and help your community!  

​Monitoring regularly leads to greater protection of our waterways.  Citizen science creates valuable data for providing early detection of issues, determining changes over time, and supplementing monitoring by government agencies.  If you love water and want to learn more about water quality, you are a candidate to become a Pearl Riverkeeper Water Steward!

REQUIREMENTS:
-Live in Pearl River watershed
-Have regular access to the river or a tributary
- Be interested in learning about water stewardship
-Groups and individuals can apply to become Water Stewards

CHALLENGES:
-Attend free MS Water Stewards training class (Bacteriological, Water Chemistry or Stream Biomonitoring)
-Make a testing plan
​-Conduct your first water quality test
-​Conduct weekly or monthly water quality testing over time
-Monitor for invasive species, pollution and fish kills
-If desired, become a Water Steward Trainer

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BACTERIOLOGICAL MONITORING

Get certified in the EPA-approved protocols of Bacteriological Monitoring.  Learn to detect levels of E.coli and other coliform bacteria in water as indicators of contamination.  Determine if water is safe for drinking, swimming and aquatic life.
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WATER CHEMISTRY MONITORING

Get certified in the EPA-approved protocols of Water Chemistry Monitoring.  Learn to test physical and chemical characteristics of water to determine pollution sources and long-term trends in water quality.  Six variables are measured with a customized test kit, and results can be compared with water quality standards that define conditions for health waterbodies.  
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STREAM BIOMONITORING

Stream Biomonitoring studies a waterway's macroinvertebrate community to determine watershed health. Learn to collect and identify small aquatic animals like snails, worms and beetles and the aquatic larval stages of insects like stonefly larvae and use their presence or absence as pollution indicators.

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PROGRAM BENEFITS
  • Free training in Bacteriological and/or Water Chemistry Monitoring or Stream Biomonitoring 
  • Water Chemistry Monitoring kit availability 
  • Bacteriological Monitoring supplies
  • Instructional refresher videos
  • Water Rangers app and website for data entry and mapping
  • Challenges, contests and achievement badges
  • Closed Facebook group for the network of Water Stewards
  • ​Community service hours, citizen science and fun in the outdoors
  • A cleaner watershed!

Request MS Water Stewards Training

RESOURCES FOR MONITORS
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Choosing a Testing Location
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Entering your Data
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MSWS Website
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AWW Website

FORMS
Water Chemistry Data Form
Bacteriological Monitoring Data Form

SPONSORED BY: 
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Ready to support our work for Clean Water and Healthy Rivers?
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Pearl Riverkeeper is a licensed member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, the largest and fastest growing nonprofit solely focused on clean water. 

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Watershed
    • Our Team
    • Our Programs
    • Year in Review
  • Our River
    • Water Testing Results
    • Watershed Issues
    • Watershed Research
    • Water Trail
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Support our Programs
    • Clean our Watershed
    • Test our Water
    • Mark our Storm Drains
  • NEWS
    • 2023 Clean Sweep Results
    • PRESS
    • Blog
    • Resources
  • REPORT POLLUTION