Narrow River Preservation Association
Friday, September 10, 2010

NRPA River Watch Volunteers are Needed 

NRPA is looking for volunteers to join their River Watch program.  Volunteering to be a water quality monitor is a great way to learn more about the water quality of the Narrow River, and at the same time provide a much-needed service to NRPA.  No previous experience in water quality monitoring is required.  All new volunteers receive both classroom and field training from the University of Rhode Island’s Watershed Watch personnel.  Manuals and all necessary monitoring equipment are provided. 

The monitoring season runs from April until October.  The program consists of biweekly measurements of temperature, algae concentration, salinity, water clarity, and dissolved oxygen.  Each volunteer is assigned a river location for monitoring.  Some locations can be monitored from the shore while other locations require a boat or canoe for monitoring. 

Classroom training is recommended for all new volunteers.  The training is designed to help people learn more about water quality in general, and about the Watershed Watch program.  New volunteers have a choice of attending classroom training on either:

·         Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 9 AM

·         Wednesday, March 31, 2009 - 6 PM

 

The training sessions will be held in Weaver Auditorium, Coastal Institute in Kingston, URI Kingston Campus. Volunteers only need to attend one of the sessions and can choose whichever one is most convenient.  The training does not cost anything, but in order to be sure that there is adequate materials for everyone please pre-register by contacting the URI Watershed Watch Office at (401) 874-2905 or (401) 874-4552.

Field training is required and will be offered on the following dates (volunteers select the date that is most convenient; however, Narrow River volunteers are encouraged to attend the training session on April 23rd).  The training location sites are to be determined.

  • Saturday April 4, 2009 9 AM & 1 PM - both for lakes and ponds,
  • Thursday April 23, 2009 5:30 PM - estuarine sites (including bay and Narrow River)
  • Saturday April 25, 2009 9 AM - lakes and ponds,
  • Saturday April 25, 2009 1 PM rivers and streams.

Additional information about the Watershed Watch program can be found on the web at <http://www.uri.edu/ce/wq/ww/index.htm> .