Volunteers Needed!
Become a StreamSmart Citizen Scientist! We are looking for volunteers to monitor one or more of the following sites:
- War Eagle Creek near CR6128 (Site 109) – located at latitude 36.041958 and longitude -93.703225 in northern Madison County.
- Hock Creek (Site 205) – located at latitude 36.022453 and longitude -93.859784 in western Madison County. This site currently has a couple of volunteers who would love to work with one or two more volunteers at this site.
- Baldwin Creek (Site 103) – located at latitude 35.822256 and longitude -93.758937 in southern Madison County. This site currently has a couple of volunteers who would love to work with one or two more volunteers at this site.
- Glade Creek (Site 302) – located at latitude 36.159851 and longitude -93.81169 in northern Madison County. This site currently has a couple of volunteers who would love to work with one or two more volunteers at this site.
Email Erin Scott at erin@ozarkswaterwatch.org if you’re interested!
What is StreamSmart?
StreamSmart is a volunteer water-quality monitoring program for the Beaver Lake Watershed in Northwest Arkansas. Started in 2012, the program equips and guides volunteers to collect water samples and site information quarterly, during February, May, August, and November. Volunteers in this program are integral to the development of a long-term database for tributary stream sites in the Beaver Lake Watershed. Through this program, we aim to engage citizen scientists, increase public awareness, and inform stakeholders about the current quality of our waterways and identify potential trends over time.
How Can You Join?
StreamSmart is designed for adult volunteers and high school students who are supervised by adults. Contact Erin Scott, with Ozarks Water Watch, by emailing erin@ozarkswaterwatch.org or calling 479-841-0235 if you are interested in joining this program or would like more information.
Monitoring Time Frame
Sites are monitored and samples collected each quarter, scheduled around the first full week of the following months:
- February
- May
- August
- November
Information Collected by Volunteers
During each monitoring period, volunteers collect water samples at their stream site, and deliver the samples to the Arkansas Water Resources Center Water Quality Lab, where they are analyzed for the following parameters:
- Alkalinity
- pH
- Conductivity
- Total dissolved solids (TDS)
- Total suspended solids (TSS)
- Turbidity
- Total nitrogen (TN)
- Total phosphorus (TP)
Volunteers also measure air and water temperature, record notes about the site, and take pictures during each monitoring period.
During May and August monitoring periods, volunteers get to collect macroinvertebrates from the stream and identify the types they find. Macroinvertebrates can be excellent indicators of water quality, and they’re fun to collect and identify!
Resources for Volunteers