The Hudson Valley is home to many beautiful streams, ponds, lakes, and of course the Hudson river itself. Keeping track of the water quality in our waterways is an important job, after all no one wants to drink water that is contaminated, nor would any of us want our families swimming or fishing in areas where the water hasn’t tested well.

That's where WAVE, Water Assessments by Volunteer Evaluators, come in.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, they have begun to look for volunteers who want to not only help monitor our water sources in New York but who also want to get a better understanding of the health of our local rivers and streams.

WAVE data is used to supplement the work of the DEC Stream Biomonitoring Unit, which through samples taken at streams and rivers across the state, create an inventory of stream water quality. Volunteer monitors provide valuable information to assist in identifying healthy stream sites and flagging sites that have potential water quality concerns.

There’s various ways to participate this year and WAVE training sessions are being offered throughout the state. Click here for more information or to register for a training session.

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