community science Archives - Urban Waters Learning Network

The More the Mossier: Using Community Science to Map Air Quality in Environmental Justice Investigations

March 29, 2023

Concerned about air quality in south-central Seattle’s Duwamish Valley, community leaders collaborated with USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station to implement a study similar to one in Portland, Oregon, in 2015 that found that urban tree moss indicated the presence of airborne toxic metals. Together, PNW Research Station scientists and community leaders designed a study that not only collected moss samples from this heavily polluted area but also engaged 55 community members, including 25 members of the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps, to do so.

From the Community to the EPA: Boston Area River Report Cards

November 29, 2021

Three watershed associations in the Boston area—the Mystic River, Charles River, and Neponset River Watershed Associations—are collaborating with community volunteers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to monitor water quality and develop annual “report cards” that communicate the recreational … Continued

Tools for Equitable Climate Resilience: Fostering Community-Led Research and Knowledge

February 19, 2021

River Network has developed new Tools for Equitable Climate Resilience with two methods for addressing climate risks: (1) Leadership Development, and (2) Community Based Participatory Research. In this toolkit – Fostering Community-Led Research and Knowledge – three methods are described … Continued

Urban Water Quality and Public Health

April 13, 2020

Raising awareness in three Urban Waters Learning Network locations The story map from the Urban Waters Learning Network highlights three unique water quality projects by Groundwork Denver, Heal the Bay, and NY/NJ Baykeeper. All three organizations are working toward healthier … Continued

Rocking the Boat: Youth Empowerment in an Environmental Justice Community

March 9, 2020

With a strong background in youth engagement, Rocking the Boat is a nonprofit organization in the South Bronx that supports kids’ growth through hands-on discovery. What started as a boatbuilding after-school program has grown into a multi-pronged approach for youth empowerment in an environmental justice community.

Community-Based Programs to Improve Water Quality

June 18, 2019 | Bronx, New York

The Bronx River Alliance, founded in 2001, is a non-profit organization that works with public and private partners to protect, improve, and restore the Bronx River. Providing a model for community-based watershed engagement, the Bronx River Alliance offers interconnected program … Continued

Creating Partnerships to Promote Citizen Science and Advocacy

July 26, 2018

Many organizations in urban waters settings are working on similar initiatives to restore and protect water resources. An abundance of water quality data is collected and reported on independent websites, with data and information used to advocate for meaningful environmental … Continued

Lower Hudson Urban Waters Collaborative: Strengthening Stewardship through Partnerships and Community Science

May 24, 2018

To further understand the severity and sources of bacterial pollution in the four urban subwatersheds in the Hudson River Estuary, Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB), supported by an EPA Urban Waters Small Grant, created the Lower Hudson Urban Waters Collaborative. Partnering with Riverkeeper, the Hudson River Watershed Alliance, and the Bronx River Alliance, the Urban Waters Collaborative created a strong partnership in the Lower Hudson Valley in which the organizations share experiences and combine data resources with the goal of strengthening stewardship and community science capacity.

Crowdsourcing Water Quality Data through Mobile Apps

October 9, 2017

Monitoring of our waterways is critical to identify issues of concern, to evaluate restoration projects’ success, and to gauge changes over time. New technologies are continually shaping the way we collect data, providing water quality monitors with new capabilities and … Continued

Tackling Runoff through Community Education and Technology

September 11, 2017

In urban settings, stormwater runoff is one of the leading water quality concerns due to limited surface area where water can infiltrate into the soil. Impervious surfaces result in water flowing quickly across pavement and down gutters and sewers rather than dispersing out evenly over the landscape. The farther and faster the water travels, the more contaminants and sediment it picks up along the way.

Guide for Developing a Volunteer Bacteria Monitoring Program

April 20, 2016

The purpose of this document is to layout the framework for other organizations to start similar volunteer based water quality monitoring programs. Though the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper program is specifically geared towards monitoring freshwater and uses E. coli as an indicator … Continued

Citizen Science QAPP Guidance by EPA Region 2

April 20, 2016

A quality assurance project plan (QAPP) states the objectives and procedures to be followed for a project that uses or collects environmental information. This WORD document was provided by EPA Region 2 for organizations to provide guidance in developing their … Continued

Creative Partnerships in Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring: A “What Works” Snapshot

February 9, 2016

An overview of the extent to which volunteer monitoring efforts are incorporating partnering into their strategies, and how those partnerships work.

Citizen-led Monitoring of Urban Wetland Restoration in New Orleans

October 11, 2015

The Citizen-led Monitoring of Urban Wetland Restoration in New Orleans creates active wetland advocates by placing technology into community members’ hands, especially in those of low-income Lake Pontchartrain residents. This effort was supported in part by a $50,000 Urban Waters Small Grant funded by EPA.

Neighborhood Water Watch: Bacterial Monitoring that Engages Citizens and Improves Water Quality

July 7, 2015

The Chattahoochee River drains more than 8,500 square miles and is the most heavily used water resource in Georgia. The river starts as a cold-water mountain stream and flows 430 miles to its confluence with the Flint River at Lake Seminole and the Florida border, traveling through the cities of Atlanta and Columbus, GA along the way.

Action on the Middle Blue River

June 6, 2015

In 2014 the Blue River Watershed Association (BRWA) received $59,940 from EPA’s Urban Waters Program to work with its partner agencies to engage eight teams of urban middle school students, four teams this spring and four teams in the fall. BRWA will engage the youth in water quality monitoring studies, data collection, and community presentations and projects.

Engaging Community and Tracking Habitat Health

April 22, 2015

Funded by an EPA Urban Waters Small Grant, the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association and the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council teamed up with the Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Mgmt. and other partners to develop a fish community monitoring program for Rhode Island’s wadeable urban rivers and streams. Program goals are to assess changes to habitat health, target locations for water quality restoration initiatives, engage community members in citizen science initiatives, and provide water quality information to the public.

Water Quality Monitoring for Impact and Engagement

April 8, 2015

Recorded webinar that reviews EPA resources to support volunteer monitoring programs and details two successful volunteer water quality monitoring programs in Atlanta and Denver.

The Old Smoky Hill River Channel

April 7, 2015

In 2012 the Pollution Prevention Institute at Kansas State University was awarded a $60,000 urban waters small grant from EPA, part of which was used to conduct water quality monitoring in the river channel in addition to engaging the public in the removal of invasive species along the river bank. Intended outcomes of their project include establishing an understanding of the pollutants present in the river and helping create a more informed public which understands the importance and process of maintaining the integrity of the river channel.

A Watershed Plan is Born

March 26, 2015

In 2012 Groundwork Denver received funding from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment through the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 319 Nonpoint Source funds. With EPA’s funding Groundwork Denver has successfully created a non-point source watershed plan for the Lower Bear Creek.

Learning and Doing—A Tried and True Formula for Developing Urban Waters Stewards

October 10, 2014

Plaster Creek is a 14 mile-long stream that drains a watershed covering approximately 58 square miles, in metropolitan Grand Rapids, Michigan. The creek initially flows through agricultural lands, then commercial and residential areas, and finally an industrial zone and low-income neighborhoods before emptying into the Grand River.