Testing the waters: Adopt-A-Stream takes to the river

It’s a bit chilly to be playing in Paint Creek, so why would anyone want to be knee-deep in it at Children’s Park on Sunday?
A closer look revealed waders, nets, buckets, test tubes and a microscope: serious equipment for a serious project.
‘Obviously, we’re concerned about the gorgeous place we live in. We want to keep our environment healthy,? said Su Iles, team coordinator.
The three volunteers in the river this past weekend’Iles, Char Beiser and Jacy Garrison’were part of the Adopt-A-Stream program, the Clinton River Watershed Council’s (CRWC) twice-a-year event aimed at bringing the community together to monitor the quality of the water that runs through their own backyards.
‘I love the outdoors. I’m interested in keeping the river healthy,? Breiser said.
In May and October, teams head out to various locations throughout the watershed (the main river and all its tributaries), which covers approximately 760 square miles before emptying into Lake St. Clair.
The teams note physical data such as information about streamside erosion and surrounding land use. They also collect macroinvertebrates, or ‘bugs,? that live in underwater vegetation. What kind of ‘bugs? they find is a good indication of the stream’s status. The data is then used by the CRWC, municipalities, and the state of Michigan to make decisions about how to go about keeping the waterway in good health.
‘What we do also keeps the DEQ informed on where they might need to do some more technical monitoring,? Iles said.
The watershed flows through Oakland and Macomb counties, but also portions of Lapeer and St. Clair counties, an area with approximately 1.4 million residents. In Lake Orion, the watershed is represented mainly by Paint Creek, one of only two streams in Oakland County that supports trout.
‘It’s good to look at water over a long term so we can spot any trends,? said Garrison, a volunteer who is also an environmental planner for the Oakland County Drain Commission. ‘We want to keep it healthy and pristine.?
In addition to the testing on Sunday at Children’s Park, teams will be heading out in various spots in Lake Orion, and surrounding areas, to monitor water in the coming month. They are always looking for volunteers. For more information, check out their Web site at http://www.crwc.org/programs/adoptastream/index.html.