Training Planned For Volunteer Water Monitors

An organization of water monitors is seeking more volunteers to regularly check rivers, creeks and streams for signs of degradation. Organizers of the “God’s Country Water Dogs” will be meeting at 6 pm Tuesday, Oct. 16, at the Gunzburger Building in Coudersport. Among topics on the agenda is the organization of a water monitor training session scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 17, from 9 am to 3:30 pm at the Gunzburger Building. Anyone interested in learning more about the organization is welcome to attend the Oct. 16 planning meeting. More information is also available from Loren Fitzgerald at lrfitzg@zitomedia.net.

Penn State Extension is registering volunteers for the Nov. 17 training at 814-887-5613 or jac20@psu.edu. Current water dogs are being asked to attend a workshop in advance of that training on Friday, Nov. 16, from 6-8 pm. Julie Vastine from Dickinson College’s Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM) will discuss data management and visual assessment, including observation of pipeline development. Bob Volkmar will introduce the new Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited portal for data collection.

Although the forecasted increase in shale gas drilling inspired the God’s Country Water Dogs to form, the organization prepares volunteers to check for signs of all forms of water quality degradation.