Help make a difference in our environment! Join volunteers throughout Fairfax County who monitor water quality in local streams. County and state officials will use the data you collect to assess the overall condition of our streams and help determine watershed management initiatives.

The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District provides all the training and equipment you need. No prior experience is necessary. We train volunteers to assess ecological conditions in streams based on the presence and abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects). Volunteers also learn how to take chemical measurements about nitrate/nitrite and turbidity. Training includes indoor and field workshops and mentoring by experienced monitors.

Volunteers can monitor at different levels of commitment. You may choose to assist other monitors when it is convenient for your schedule. Or you may adopt your chosen stream and commit to monitoring it four times a year. We will make the program work for you!

NVSWCD reviews and certifies the data and forwards it to the Fairfax County Stream Protection Strategy Program, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and Virginia Save Our Streams.

If you are interested in becoming a monitor, e-mail the coordinator or call 703-324-1425, TTY 711. To learn more about the volunteer monitoring program or see a current training calendar, visit the monitors' web page.