ATC Teams up with World Water Monitoring Day

Thanks to the generosity of REI and the Quimby Family Foundation, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is launching a new Trail-wide initiative to sample water resources along the entire A.T.  ATC has partnered with the Water Environment Federation to facilitate volunteer participation for water resources sampling during World Water Monitoring Day. Data collected from A.T. volunteers will be extracted from the World Water Monitoring database and analyzed. This partnership is a valuable opportunity to spread the word about the unique water resources along the A.T.

Adopted by the Water Environment Federation in July 2006, World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is an international outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world. Held annually between September 18 and October 18, the program engages communities in monitoring the condition of local rivers, streams, estuaries and other water bodies. One intent of the ATC and the Water Environment Federation partnership is to host an annual water quality sampling event along the A.T. to get a snapshot of the status of A.T. water resources and to raise awareness of the significant freshwater resources that occur along the Trail. This data collection event will be supplemented with additional water sampling activities at designated sites along the A.T. to meet specific monitoring objectives.

Who Can Volunteer

Adults, supervised youth groups (classes, clubs, scouts, etc.) and families are encouraged to participate in this program. No special skills are required. Volunteers must be able to get to a water testing site, and follow simple instructions.

To register go to: www.worldwatermonitoringday.org 

Be sure to identify yourself as an Appalachian Trail Conservancy volunteer during the registration process when asked where you learned about WWMD. 

If you are NOT a member of a Trail Club, you must sign a consent form; this form will ensure that you receive insurance coverage during your water quality sampling.  To receive the appropriate consent form, e-mail waterquality2007@appalachiantrail.org and identify if you are volunteering as an individual or leading a group. 

If you are a member of an ATC Trail Club, follow your club’s usual policies. 

Necessary Equipment

Water sampling equipment is available through www.worldwatermonitoringday.org. There is a nominal cost of $20 which includes shipping and handling. The kits will provide supplies to conduct 50 water samples. You may also build your own kit.

If you need assistance acquiring a sampling kit, please contact: waterquality2007@appalachiantrail.org. ATC has a limited supply of kits to assist volunteers.

Locating a Water Source to Sample

Grab your A.T. map! Most good maps identify water sources. Or, if you have a hand-held GPS unit, grab it along with your map and guide yourself to the coordinates for one of these sites (PDF) of known springs, seeps, streams, and rivers along the Trail.

When you register a water source site on the World Water Monitoring Web site you will want to know:

Site name: Appalachian Trail 
Monitoring site description: (Enter a detailed description of your site.)
Water body Name
Water body Type (Choose from a drop down menu.)
Nearest City/Town
Country
State
Latitude/Longitude (If you don’t know the latitude and longitude of your site, you can use the interactive map on the WWMD website; latitude and longitude will be automatically entered once you click on the map to choose a site.)

Volunteers will generally hike along the A.T. to a waterway, so be sure to prepare for a half day or full day of hiking. See Hike the Trail for more details on how to prepare for a hike.  Maps and guidebooks include emergency numbers. Information on how to get help in an emergency is found in the Health and Safety section.  You should also review the water sampling safety tips provided by WWMD. Please report any incidents or problems you encounter to us upon your return.

Upon arrival at the water source you plan to sample, follow the sampling instructions provided on WWMD’s Web site. Remember to print a copy of the field data sheet (PDF) to record the data you collect.

When you return from the field, enter the data you collected and the total number of participants in your group  on the World Water Monitoring Day Web site.  Then e-mail ATC the number of hours you spent volunteering, including the time you spent hiking.

For additional assistance send emails to: waterquality2007@appalachiantrail.org.

Corporate and Foundation Support

Quimby Family Foundation