Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program

Program Overview

The Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program, managed by the Stormwater Utility, allows proactive volunteers, such as yourself, to monitor your local stream and determine your stream's health. Your data can also be shared with other volunteer monitoring groups across the City.

• Volunteers are asked to monitor a specific stream segment for one year, with the option to renew the agreement after each year is complete.
• Volunteers are provided with one year's worth of monitoring equipment and are asked to return the equipment back to City of Raleigh after the monitoring period has ended. Monitoring equipment includes safety vests and supplies to perform benthic macro invertebrate surveys and analyze chemical parameters including Coliform bacteria, biological oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrate, phosphate, temperature, and turbidity.
• Throughout the monitoring period, groups are encouraged to monitor their site for the chemical parameters ten (10) times and Coliform bacteria three (3) times; groups are encouraged to survey the benthic macro invertebrates once a year (in July or August).
• After each monitoring date, groups should submit their recorded data to Stormwater Utility staff. Monitoring data is posted in a database available online to compare data with other Volunteer Stream Monitoring groups across Raleigh.

Any pollution sources identified by the groups will promptly be investigated by City staff to ensure the pollution source is eliminated.

Volunteer Orientation Workshops

Any volunteers interested in joining the Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program are required to attend an orientation workshop.

Workshop attendees are trained in the sampling procedures for collecting water quality data and performing benthic macro invertebrate surveys. After the workshop is complete, volunteers will work with Mac Smith to identify their monitoring locations and begin collecting data.

The next workshop is being planned for Saturday, August 25. Please contact Mac Smith at 919-996-3940 or StormwaterUtilityHelpingU@raleighnc.gov for additional information. Pre-registration is required.