News Release

NORTH WEBSTER — Access to clean, plentiful water is an important resource.

Volunteers Treyton Martin and Lily Crighton learn the science involved in monitoring water quality through the Hoosier Riverwatch program. The next local Hoosier Riverwatch training will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 15, at the North Webster Community Center. Photo provided by The Watershed Foundation.

To ensure that our water is safe, testing is necessary — and a strong, knowledgeable team of volunteers is needed to make it happen. Thanks to the Hoosier Riverwatch program, thousands of volunteers are trained to monitor their local streams, rivers and lakes all across the state.

Through training workshops offered each year by the Department of Environmental Management, Hoosier Riverwatch transforms citizens into frontline scientists capturing data important to monitoring the health of our water.

Anyone with an interest in water quality, the environment and education is invited to participate in the next Hoosier Riverwatch training from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 15, at the North Webster Community Center. Portions of the hands-on training will take place in the Tippecanoe River.

The training is presented in partnership by the Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District and The Watershed Foundation. Although a reservation is required to attend, the event is free of charge.

Lyn Crighton, executive director of The Watershed Foundation, emphasized the profound impact of learning stream monitoring fundamentals: “As individuals grasp the essentials of stream monitoring, they embark on a lifelong journey that not only contributes to the well-being of our environment, but also brings personal fulfillment. To safeguard our water for future generations, it is imperative we cultivate an understanding and deep appreciation for conservation that will sustain us in the long run.”

The workshop will provide general education in water quality issues and hands-on training in monitoring the health of rivers and streams through physical, chemical and biological testing. After the training, volunteers can perform stream testing for a wide variety of possible pollutants. They then submit their data to a statewide volunteer monitoring database that makes the information available to anyone.

Check out hoosierriverwatch.com to find water quality data collected by program graduates and to discover where monitoring has taken place.

For reservations, specific locations and directions, contact Paige Hubner at paige@watershedfoundation or (574) 834-3242. To learn more about Riverwatch, visit in.gov/idem/riverwatch/hoosier-riverwatch-workshops.