Friends of Sligo Creek (FOSC) will again be partnering with Anacostia Riverkeeper (ARK) for our second annual Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring program. This partnership also includes Neighbors of the Northwest Branch (NNB). Funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Montgomery County, it offers residents interested in the water quality of Sligo Creek and Northwest Branch the opportunity to help track the chemical and biological health of these streams in a non-technical, user-friendly way.

Volunteers will take temperature measurements and collect water samples every other week at five sites, then drop the samples off with ARK for further analysis in the lab. Monitoring usually takes about 15 minutes at a site, and you can sign up for as many or as few dates as you like during the summer. The data from the program helps FOSC, ARK, NNB, and state and local agencies learn more about the chemical and biological health of our waterways – where the challenges are greatest, and where the improvements are strongest.

Online training will be held on Friday, May 7th, 10am-noon, or on Tuesday, May 11th, 1-3pm. Please sign up here for either session of this required training.

The first day of monitoring will be Wednesday May 19 and will run through the beginning of September.

Read more on the FOSC Water Quality Committee main page. If you have any questions about the program in the meantime, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].