Brief Descriptions of Potential Stream Team Projects
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Survey Projects
Soil Erosion Survey: Soil that is eroded from construction sites, cropland, ditches, lawns, roads, and streambanks can have a detrimental effect on streams (and the rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans that are connected to those streams.) This soil (or sediment) pollution can turn the water brown, reduce the ability of fish and aquatic insects to breathe and feed, fill in fish spawning beds, result in increased sediment deposits (that reduce the depth of streams and thus raise water temperatures), block light and inhibit the photosynthesis of aquatic plants, and scour algae and aquatic insects from the rocks they call home. Nutrients (like phosphorus and nitrogen) are often attached to these soil particles and can result in abnormally large algae blooms in streams and the downstream rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans to which they drain. (These algae blooms eventually die and deplete dissovled oxygen levels as they are decomposed by microorganisms, which can result in fish kills.) You can get out on your streams and document soil erosion problems. This documentation can be useful in planning where efforts can be made to protect or restore your stream. (Note: It might be productive to combine this survey with a Stream Habitat Walk.)
Stream Habitat Walk: Walk part or the entire length of your stream to investigate whether there are potential pollution sources such as soil erosion, stormwater drain inputs, and garbage along with other problems such as lack of tree canopy cover (which can lead to thermal pollution and streambank instability/erosion) and fish migration barriers. This is a great way to learn about your stream, its habitat, and the impacts that land uses can have on it!
Streamside Vegetation Survey: Walk or canoe your stream to inventory the lengths of your stream that have adequate amounts of streamside vegetation to help protect your stream (see Streamside Vegetation Planting for a description of the benefits provided by streamside vegetation.)
- Education & Outreach - Monitoring - Protection & Restoration -
