GreenWorks - Volunteers Needed for Spring and Summer Water Sampling

With lakes and ponds still frozen, wading in streams or lakeside is probably some-thing you haven't been thinking about. But if you love clean water for recreation or are just interested in learning more about your environment, it's not too early to think about volunteering to protect a water resource in the state. Volunteers are needed to help moni-tor and test for water quality in every region of the state for this spring and summer.

Water pollution can have many sources. Rainwater flowing across the land past homes and businesses, over pavement, and through storm drains picks up fertilizers, road salt, motor oil, pet wastes, trash, and chemicals that eventually end up in a nearby stream, pond or lake, and ultimately the coastal waters. Volunteers can learn more about how to measure the health of these waters and how to protect them.

Volunteers can participate in several programs at the N.H. Department of Environ-mental Services (DES) that provide training, monitoring equipment, and data interpreta-tion for local water quality monitoring. The N.H. Volunteer River Assessment Program (VRAP), and the N.H. Volunteer Lake Assessment Program (VLAP) train volunteers to collect valuable information about rivers and lakes in New Hampshire. These volunteer monitoring efforts help answer such questions as: How clean are these waterbodies? How are they changing? What should be done to protect our water quality? Volunteer water quality monitoring of lakes and rivers can start as early as May and can continue into October. For more information, contact Ted Walsh at VRAP, 271-2083 or twalsh@des.state.nh.us, or Andrea LaMoreaux at VLAP, 271-2658 or alamoreaux@des.state.nh.us, or visit the websites at http://www.des.nh.gov/wmb/vrap and http://www.des.nh.gov/wmb/vlap.

You may also want to join the DES "Weed Watchers," a volunteer program dedicated to monitoring lakes and ponds for the presence of exotic aquatic weeds. Left undetected, the spread of these plants such as milfoil and fanwort, can displace beneficial wildlife causing negative environmental, recreational, and economic impacts on our valuable wa-ter resources. Education, vigilance, and early detection are key components in keeping these non-native weeds from becoming established in our lakes and ponds. Amy Sma-gula, DES, is recruiting Weed Watchers at 271-2248 or asmagula@des.state.nh.us.

Other New Hampshire volunteer monitoring programs include: the Great Bay Coast Watch, which conducts monitoring and education projects to protect the long-term health of New Hampshire's coastal waters and estuarine systems; and the N.H. Lakes Lay Monitoring Program, a statewide volunteer lake and tributary stream monitoring program partnering local individuals and associations, towns, UNH faculty, staff and students. To volunteer for Coast Watch, contact Ann Reid, Watch Coordinator, Sea Grant, Kingman Farm/UNH, Durham at 749-1565 or ann.reid@unh.edu, and to learn more about the N.H. Lakes Lay Monitoring Program, contact Jeff Schloss, Extension Specialist, UNH Cooperative Extension, 862-3848 or jeff.schloss@unh.edu.

In addition to providing valuable information about New Hampshire waters, volun-teer monitoring leads to a better understanding of how we impact water quality and em-powers residents and organizations to work towards reducing those impacts. Monitoring and education help keep our waters clean for everyone today and tomorrow.