Join the 2022 River Monitoring Team!
SYRCL is embarking on our 22nd River Monitoring season, and we need you!
We recently added three brand new sites along Deer Creek and are looking for dedicated, environmentally-driven volunteers to help monitor these as well as other sites. SYRCL has recruited volunteers for the past 21 years to monitor what has grown to 38 water quality sites across the Yuba watershed.
The vast amount of water quality data collected has been crucial in our protection and restoration efforts. If you want to learn more about why we monitor, we invite you to read our River Monitoring Plan.
Orientation – March 24
Field Training – April 2
Top Five Reasons to Become a River Monitor
- Be part of a dedicated team of citizen scientists and environmental stewards working to keep the Yuba clean and safe.
- See the Yuba watershed in all seasons! Monitors visit their adopted site once a month from March-November to collect data and make valuable observations. Observe the Yuba’s beautiful spring flowers, summer sun, fall colors, and winter flows!
- Learn how water flow and other factors impact water chemistry. Each month we test for pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Conductivity, Temperature, Turbidity and Bacteria. Learn why all these parameters matter and how they affect habitat quality!
- Once trained, River Monitors can further develop their skills by volunteering with SYRCL’s other river science projects (like meadow monitoring and storm sampling).
- Contribute data to support SYRCL’s River Monitoring Plan, which focuses on long-term trend monitoring, abandoned mines, dam-affected reaches, the Upper South Yuba River Watershed, bacterial contamination of recreational waters, nutrient and chemical runoff, and invasive/sensitive species lists.
Special thanks to Ralph, Nancy and Sol Henson for this video.
Interested in becoming a River Monitor for the 2022 season?
Orientation will be held on Thursday, March 24th from 6:30pm – 8:30pm on Zoom. At this introductory evening session, you will learn about the background of SYRCL’s River Monitoring Program, with an emphasis on what and why we monitor. A Zoom link will be sent out prior to the event. Sign up for the orientation.
The mandatory field training is scheduled for Saturday, April 2nd from 9:30am – 3:00pm. During this day-long, hands-on training you will become familiar with SYRCL’s sampling protocol, practice working with the sampling equipment, and learn to fill out the data sheets. This training will be located at the Bridgeport Crossing at the South Yuba River State Park, on Pleasant Valley Rd. Masks will be required when less than 6 ft. apart. Sign up for field training.
March 12th is the first monthly water quality monitoring day of 2022
Our trained River Monitors will head out to collect water samples and fill out their data sheets! River Monitors have the opportunity to collect vital water quality data while also getting to enjoy the magnificent canyons of the Yuba.
The 2022 River Monitoring Schedule (second Saturday of each month)
March 12 | April 9 | May 14 | June 11 | July 9
August 13 | September 10 | October 8 | November 12
Contact Eloise Bellingham, 2022 AmeriCorps River Monitoring Coordinator, at eloise@yubariver.org or 530-265-5961 ext. 205 to sign up! We invite you to visit the River Monitoring page to learn more about the program.
You can also download our extensive dataset collected by our trained citizen scientists at RiverDB.org. Thank you to our dedicated citizen scientists who make it all possible. SYRCL volunteers make the River Monitoring Program one of the strongest citizen-based monitoring projects in the nation!
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