Stream Team Program

Missouri Stream Team is a working partnership of citizens who are concerned about Missouri streams. The partnership includes the Citizens of Missouri and two public agencies; the Missouri Departments of Conservation (MDC) and Natural Resources (DNR); plus one private agency, Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) an affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. The Stream Team program provides an opportunity for all to get involved in river conservation. Stewardship and Advocacy are two favorite activities of Stream Teams. Stewardship includes hands-on projects such as litter control, stream bank stabilization, streamside tree planting, water quality monitoring and storm drain stenciling. Many Stream Team volunteers speak out on behalf of their adopted stream when development projects or harmful activities impact a local stream.

There are about 1,800 Stream Teams in Missouri plus a few in Kansas and Iowa. In Missouri this accounts for 33,120 volunteers. In 2000, 70,500 volunteer hours were logged. Water quality monitoring was included in the volunteer hours. Trained volunteers made 1,349 trips to their adopted streams to perform biological, chemical or physical monitoring. These activities added up to 14,883 hours. 2001 is expected to be just as impressive as 2000.

The goals of the Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program are to (1) inform & educate citizens about the conditions of our streams (2) establish a monitoring network (3) enable citizens to make wise decisions regarding their streams, and (4) halt the degradation of streams. The volunteer monitoring program is open to anyone who is interested in water quality. The only requirements are a sincere interest and concern for streams and a willingness to contribute time for monitoring. There are no fees. DNR and MDC provide the training and the equipment that is used by the volunteer citizen scientists. There are different levels of involvement & commitment. This is a flexible program. Volunteers are encouraged to share the knowledge and information that they gain from the training workshops and from their monitoring efforts with others.

The main requirements regarding a local water quality monitoring workshop is that it be open to the public, a suitable meeting room is available at no cost, and at least 10 adults will commit to the 8 hours of training. The water quality monitoring workshop training schedules are developed during the winter months. If a watershed group would like to have a workshop in their area, they may contact Priscilla Stotts, Stream Team Coordinator with DNR at (573) 526-3406 or (800) 781-1989 (voice mail).

There are many advantages for being part of the Missouri Stream Team Program but the one which citizens enjoy the most is education and information outreach. "In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; we will understand only what we are taught." Baba Dioum, Senegalese Conservationist

Contributed by Priscilla Stotts, Stream Team Coordinator, Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Stream Team Program

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