Thank you for your interest in joining the Dan River Basin Association Citizen Water Quality Monitors (CWQM)!
Volunteer monitors play an integral role in assessing and protecting the health of our natural resources. Although state departments and watershed organizations, like DRBA, have hundreds of monitoring stations throughout the state, all of the waterways cannot be monitored through those efforts alone. And, with thousands of miles of waterways still needing assessment, volunteer participation is crucial, thank you for fulfilling a need!
Thanks to a Citizen Water Monitoring Grant from the VA Department of Environmental Quality, DRBA will be focusing on recruiting volunteers to monitor public access points along the Dan, Bannister and Smith Rivers in 2025. This new focus for our volunteer monitoring project will help to identify sources of pollution at public access locations used for recreation, while also educating the community at public events and festivals on water quality monitoring and the effects of human activities on water quality.
There are eight sites included in the grant from VA DEQ that DRBA will prioritize covering in 2025 with new volunteers. If all eight sites are covered, additional public access sites may be added.
The eight public access points for focus are -
1. Greene's Crossing, Halifax County, sample at boat ramp of Dan River
2. King's Bridge, Halifax County, sample at boat landing of Bannister River
3. Terry's Bridge, Halifax County, sample at boat launch of Bannister River
4. FILLED - Angler's Park, Danville, sample at boat launch of Dan River
5. Danville YMCA, Danville, sample along Riverwalk Trail at YMCA at the Dan River
6. FILLED - Abreu Grogan Park, Danville, sample at boat launch at Dan River
7. Marrowbone Creek Access, Henry County, sample at Marrowbone Creek Smith River Access
8. Great Road River Access, Henry County, sample at Great Road River Access at Smith River
If you have any questions, contact Krista Hodges, Director of Environmental, at khodges@danriver.org.
