Storm Water

Did you know that storm water, the water that runs off the street and down the gutters, that water goes straight to our river? Yep.

Many people believe that water runs to a treatment plant. I thought it did. But it doesn't.

The thing is, if someone believes the water gets treated somewhere, they might also think it is a good place to get rid of household chemicals, pet waste or used oil. They might not worry about what effect their action will have, and assume it is being handled.

It isn't.

But there is something you can do! By placing a small sign permanently on the storm drain, you alert people to the fact that this water goes directly to the James River. Walkers will see your handiwork and say to themselves "Hmm, I had no idea this water went straight to the James. I thought it was a sewer, as in, to the sewage plant. Interesting."


If you want to help, here's how. Look around your neighborhood for storm drains in need of markers (which is, they don't have one already). Let us know how many storm drains you think you'd like to mark. We will compile a kit for you with everything you'll need to do your own marking, as well as step-by-step instructions. It's simple, fast, and you'll feel good knowing your action may have kept a little pollution out of the James.

If you're interested, please call the office, or send an email. We'll hook you up!

marinacannon@missouristate.edu

Invitation

You are cordially invited to join our Stream Team.
Watch for posts about different stream monitoring events, then come join us. It will be fun and rewarding.

If you would like to learn more about stream teams, visit: http://www.mostreamteam.org

If you would like to know more about the James River Basin Partnership, visit: http://www.jrbp.missouristate.edu/
Sign up for our quarterly newsletter, while you’re there. You can get the electronic version in your email!

If you have any Stream Team questions, call us (417) 836-3756 or (417) 836-8879

Introducing... Stream Team Flexi

Stream teams do so much good for the community. They pick up litter, monitor the water, and generally keep an eye on things. Because they send in their data, there is a constant record of the conditions at each location, problems can be spotted early on, and corrected before it becomes a major water issue, thanks to the work of these dedicated volunteers.

Many people start their own team, either with friends or family. Maybe there's a favorite fishing hole, or a place where family always meets for picnics, the portion of the stream that a team adopts is up to them. They may just pick up the litter that they see, or they may go further and attend training in water quality monitoring.

At the James River Basin Partnership, we have our own Stream Team. We are trained to level 2 (well, Tiff is. I am just at level 1, at the moment.) Periodically, we go out to our four sites and monitor them. Sometimes we check the invertebrates or test for chemicals, sometimes we pick up litter. But up until now, we've been doing it on our own. Then someone had this great idea to let ANYONE join in. To be a member of our team, all you have to do is show up. You don't need any prior training, just an interest in the water and a willingness to help.

We welcome you to join our team, whether it is for a single visit, a refresher course for your own team, or if you just want to be part of our gang. It will be interesting, fun, and always, an adventure.