Protecting Our Water through Stream Team Monitoring

Vicki Sanders, Class of 2022

Tom Heath is a great example of how we show our love of water by conducting regular testing. He has been a member of Texas Stream Team since 2005. He started out as an advocate for clean water as a member of For The Love of the Lake with White Rock Lake since 2003 and jumped on the opportunity to become more engaged by taking the Standard Core Testing Training offered by Texas Stream Team by the City of Dallas. In 2006, he expanded and began testing the water qualities at the Heard Museum and Wilson Creek. He enjoys being part of a state-wide team monitoring our ponds, creeks, and rivers on a regular basis. He knows the value of citizen science as professional data collectors cannot cover the range that volunteers can. He also enjoys seeing the fluctuation of data through seasonal and weather changes. His advice to anyone interested in joining BPTMN’s Stream Team includes:

· Understanding that your testing may always show normal results and that is a good thing. If there is a pollution event, however, the best chance to detect it is with periodic testing.

· It’s always a good idea to find a partner to test your site(s) with as it makes it safer and more fun, plus you can cover for each other if one is unavailable to test and you will likely continue testing for a longer time.

· Contact your city storm water monitoring department and let them know where you are testing and provide them with a copy of your data sheet each month. They may also have a suggestion on locations they would like to be monitored.

Tom currently monitors seven sites, working between BPTMN and NTTMN, including sites at the Heard Museum, Wilson Creek, White Rock Creek, and often partners with BPTMN member Mary Wise. If YOU are interested in becoming part of BPTMN’s Stream Team OR learning more about how to protect our waters through Texas Water Specialist Certification, contact Vicki Sanders at vickis@bptmn.org.