Muddy Water Watch is a region wide initiative to reduce stormwater pollution from construction sites through training workshops and materials developed specifically for citizens. Trained volunteers will help improve construction site maintenance and MOST IMPORTANTLY be proactive in keeping dirt, the country's number one water pollution problem, out of rivers.
Trainings consist of about nine hours of presentations and site visits that teach volunteers about erosion control, sediment regulations, the regulatory structure, and how they can monitor erosion problems to prevent runoff into our rivers and streams. Hundreds of sites have been monitored and corrected as a result of these trainings.
Volunteers have also helped increase the frequency of routine BMP maintenance and, most importantly, have been proactive in keeping mud and sediment out of our rivers and streams.
The latest water quality data indicates that, after a substantial decline in water quality over a number of years, there has recently been a slight improvement in the quality of streams in North Carolina. This is partially due to the success of the MWW program.
Visit www.muddywaterwatch.org to learn more about how you can help and stay tuned for future trainings in the French Broad Watershed as well as the exciting photo and video contest coming soon!
Saturday August 21st, 2010: Become a certified Muddy Water Watch volunteer and help reduce muddy runoff into streams and rivers. Runoff from construction sites is the biggest pollution problem for our nation’s waterways, and citizens play a critical role in reducing this pollution by spotting and reporting erosion violations at construction sites. The first segment of the training will be led by French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson who will teach about stormwater runoff and its impacts, how to spot erosion violations, and how to report them. The second part of the training is a field visit scheduled Tuesday August 24th, location TBA at this workshop. The Muddy Waters Watch certification training includes 4.5 hours, for only $15 for WNCA members and $20 for non-members, which includes a new WNCA membership. Please contact Hartwell Carson at riverkeeper@wnca.org or (828) 258-8737 for more information and to register!
