Making a Difference in Maryland Waters
The goals of the Stream Waders Program are:
- To increase the density of sampling sites for use in stream quality assessments.
- To educate the local community about the relationship between land use and stream quality.
- To provide quality assured information on stream quality to state,local, and federal agencies, environmental organizations, and others.
- To improve stream stewardship ethics and encourage local action to improve watershed management.
In order to become part of the program, volunteers agree to participate in a one day training session and then spend about two more days during the March-April sampling window collecting aquatic invertebrate samples from stream beds. Volunteers can either make special arrangements to return their samples to DNR, or bring them to the group collection generally held the first weekend of May at their training site. Samples are sent to DNR for "bug identification" and analysis.
Volunteer samples and location data go through a process similar to that used for the Maryland Biological Stream Survey for quality control and analysis. Data and reports that result from this process are available on the web in the online publications page.
Stream Waders Contents
- Information about training sessions
- Photos from previous training sessions
- Videos from Stream Wader training and other MBSS projects
- Searchable Stream Waders data
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Stream Waders Protocol Manual
- Stream Waders 10 Year Report
Maps of Watersheds to be Sampled in 2013
This map details where the Stream Waders will sample in 2012. Click the map below to get a larger .pdf version. Clicking on the image of the maps will bring up a larger version, complete with descriptions of MDE Priority Watersheds, DNR Priority Watersheds, Unsampled Watersheds, and Sentinel Site Watersheds.
Stream Waders 10 Year (2000-2009) Report.
Thank you all of the volunteers who slogged through the streams and endured frigid fingers to make it all possible!
Read more about the Stream Waders program in this issue of Maryland's Natural Resource Magazine.
Important Documents
If you would like to join Stream Waders, the first thing to do is fill out this Volunteer Form and bring the completed form to a training session. This document is a release form required from all our volunteers.
Upcoming Events
- Save the Date! MBSS 2013 Summer Training - May 28-31
Learn More - Stream Waders Dropoff Day
May 4th - Ridgely, Rockville, and Grantsville locations
Learn More
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Maryland Stream Waders
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Species Spotlight
- Long-tailed Salamander
The Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea longicauda longicauda) This salamander is found everywhere in Maryland except the Coastal Plain. It lives up to its name with a tail that makes up more that 50% of its total length.
Learn more in this informative Fact Sheet