About Georgia Adopt-A-Stream

Georgia Adopt-A-Stream (AAS) is housed in the NonPoint Source Program in the Water Protection Branch of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. The program is funded by a Section 319(h) Grant. The goals of Georgia Adopt-A-Stream are to (1) increase public awareness of the State's nonpoint source pollution and water quality issues, (2) provide citizens with the tools and training to evaluate and protect their local waterways, (3) encourage partnerships between citizens and their local government, and (4) collect quality baseline water quality data.

To accomplish these goals, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream encourages individuals and communities to monitor and/or improve sections of streams, wetlands, lakes or estuaries. Manuals, training, and technical support are provided through Georgia EPD, Adopt-A-Stream Regional Training Centers and more than 50 established Community/Watershed Adopt-A-Stream organizers. The Adopt-A-Stream and Wetland Regional Training Centers are located at State Universities in Columbus, Milledgeville, Americus, and Savannah. These centers play a key role in providing training, technical support and organizational support to citizens throughout Georgia.

There are more than 50 Community/Watershed Programs that organize Adopt-A-Stream groups in their watershed, county or city. These local Adopt-A-Stream programs are funded by counties, cities and nonprofit organizations and use the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream model, manuals and workshops to promote nonpoint source pollution education and data collection in their area. The State office works closely with these programs to ensure that volunteers are receiving appropriate support and training.

The Adopt-A-Stream program offers different levels of involvement. At the most basic level, a new group informs their local government about their activities and creates partnerships with local schools, businesses and government agencies. A watershed survey and 4 visual surveys are conducted within a year's time. Volunteers create a "Who To Call List" so that if something unusual is sighted, the appropriate agencies can be notified. Getting To Know Your Watershed and Visual Stream Survey manuals provide guidance in these activities.

If volunteers wish to learn more about their adopted body of water, they are encouraged to conduct biological or chemical monitoring. The Biological and Chemical Stream Monitoring manual guides volunteers through the monitoring process. Free workshops are provided at regular intervals in the Atlanta region and as needed in other areas of the State. These workshops are listed in our bimonthly newsletter and our website. Volunteers can monitor their waterways without attending a workshop, but those who attend and pass a QA/QC test will then be considered quality data collectors under the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Quality Assurance Plan. QA/QC data is posted on the Adopt-A-Stream database.

The title "Adopt-A-Stream" is a little misleading since the program provides manuals and training for lake and wetland monitoring also. The Freshwater Wetland Monitoring manual and workshops highlight wetland values and functions and guides volunteers through the monitoring of soils, vegetation and hydrology. A separate Coastal Wetland Monitoring manual created by UGA Marine Extension Service provides guidance for volunteers interested in monitoring coastal habitats and the biological and chemical parameters specific to marine conditions. The Adopt-A-Lake program is a collaborative effort between Georgia Adopt-A-Stream and Georgia Lake Society. The Georgia Lake Society provides training workshops and technical advice throughout the state. An Educator Guide is also offered. This guide helps teachers put Adopt-A-Stream activities into a lesson plan format.

Georgia Adopt-A-Stream has teamed up with government and non-government groups to provide access to technical information and assistance to citizens interested in preserving and restoring the banks and vegetation along their waterways. This network will assist local governments educate citizens about the importance of protecting riparian corridors and provide landowners with the information they need to restore the riparian zone on their property to reduce erosion, improve water quality and provide wildlife habitat with native plantings.

Resources Available from Georgia Adopt-A-Stream

Getting To Know Your Watershed Manual
Visual Stream Survey Manual
Biological and Chemical Stream Monitoring Manual
Adopt-A-Wetland Manual and workshop
Coastal Georgia Adopt-A-Wetland Manual
Adopt-A-Lake Manual
Adopt-A-Stream Educator's Guide
Rivers Alive Guide to Organizing and Conducting a Cleanup
Georgia Adopt-A-Stream: It All Begins With You video
Building a Watershed Alliance video
Getting Started: Watershed Survey and Map Assessment workshops
Biological Monitoring workshops
Chemical Monitoring workshops
Train - The - Trainer workshops
You Are The Solution To Water Pollution Posters and Brochures
Database
Newsletter
Technical and logistical support for volunteers and communities