We need YOUR help to monitor the health of our neighborhood waterways!

Livable Buckhead would like you to join our water quality monitoring program in partnership with Fulton County Public Works and Georgia Adopt-A-Stream.  The purpose of this citizen science program is to monitor for potential sources of pollution in streams flowing through our community. By monitoring water quality in local streams, we can work to identify, reduce and even eliminate impacts to our water supply sources. Our partners in this effort will support volunteers with training and tools to conduct monthly monitoring.

All of our volunteers will receive an individual membership to Livable Buckhead as a thank you for your participation in this program.

The Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Program engages citizen scientists across the state of Georgia in water protection activities through a series of educational workshops on the physical, chemical, and biological health of our waterways. For the Livable Buckhead water quality monitoring program, we aim to establish a baseline of data by observing chemical parameters of our streams.

Chemical attributes of a waterway are important indicators of water quality and safety. Tests for pH and dissolved oxygen can be used to detect imbalances within the ecosystem. Such imbalances may indicate the presence of certain pollutants. When samples indicate poor water quality, volunteers work with local coordinators and government agencies to identify and stop the contamination source.

Volunteers will complete their chemical monitoring certification by participating in a Chemical Monitoring Workshop led by an AAS community coordinator. Ages 11 and up are welcome to enroll as volunteers. When you participate in a monitoring workshop, your trainer will provide hands-on instruction and answer any questions you might have to ensure that you feel comfortable with the sampling and testing procedures. Participation in the workshop will teach volunteers about basic stream water chemistry and how to conduct various chemical tests using hand-held field equipment. This workshop takes approximately 4 hours to complete.

Volunteers will conduct chemical testing once a month at the same time and the same location. Regular monitoring helps ensure your information can be compared over time. Water quality and environmental conditions can change throughout the day, so monitoring at approximately the same time of day is important. Once your sample is collected, the chemical testing takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.

In order to monitor, you need the proper equipment. Once you have completed the certification requirements, you can either choose to buy the equipment yourself or request a monitoring kit from one of our partners.

As a volunteer, you’ll be asked to select a site along a local stream or other waterway to adopt – from the options below or another Buckhead neighborhood stream of your choice.

Little Nancy Creek – Filled

Closest Address: 684 Mountain Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30342

Peachtree Creek at Northside Drive – Filled

Closest Address: 617 Woodward Way NW, Atlanta, GA 30327

South Peachtree Creek at Armand Park Trail

Closest Address: 2177 Armand Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30324

Fill out the form below to get involved: