- Details
- Category: Current Issue
'Water health'
volunteers sought
DANIELSON — The Last Green Valley’s rivers, lakes and fish have benefitted greatly from 40 years of Clean Water Act protection, but what is their current health? The Last Green Valley is seeking volunteers to help gather more information that will be used to develop river and lake “report cards.” Now in its eighth year of monitoring, The Last Green Valley, Inc. (TLGV) would like to expand the program throughout the entire Thames River watershed, from the Quinebaug and French rivers in Massachusetts all the way to Long Island Sound.
This year, TLGV is specifically looking for volunteers to collect information in the Quinebaug River in Massachusetts, and to begin a new program collecting water for bacteria analysis in Ashford, Mansfield and Willimantic.
“It is my privilege to work with volunteers who are passionate about our rivers and lakes in eastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts,” said Jean Pillo, who serves as the TLGV Water Quality Monitoring Program Coordinator. With comprehensive training and support, these watershed detectives gather data using a variety of equipment ranging from simple to complex. “Our volunteers help track down sources of bacteria in the water that may cause swimming area closures,” said Pillo, “and stream temperature information is of great interest to those studying climate changes. Because the program follows detailed methods approved by state and federal agencies, the information can be used to document long-term trends.”
There are many ways volunteers can help, from collecting water samples to entering numbers from field sheets into a computer. With enough people involved, volunteers may only need to go out once or twice a year.
For more information or to participate, please contact Jean Pillo, TLGV Water Quality Monitoring Program, at her office in Pomfret, CT at 860-928-4948 ext. 605 or by email, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..