Calling All Volunteers!

Water and air pollution are huge problems in the CSRA, especially industrial Augusta. The environmental current events that you take ownership of will bring about better health for everybody in the community. Your help is needed, whether you are a student, a retiree, a business owner or a weekend warrior:

Monitor the streams and rivers in our community:

• Organize Creekkeeper, Covekeeper and Streamkeeper groups.
• Organize clean-ups.
• Report activities that could result in pollutants reaching the water.
• Become informed of the best way to apply fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides to minimize damage from runoff.
• Locate sources of water pollution and report them.

Educate and involve the public in water quality:

• Teach people how to monitor water quality.
• Speak at civic groups and schools about environmental current events, such as mercury levels in fish, how particulates in the air ultimately damage waterways.
• Stencil storm water drains to create awareness that they empty untreated into rivers and streams.

Be an advocate:

• Attend government meetings to determine if leaders are protecting or endangering our waterways.
• Work to create and maintain buffers for wetlands and curb development near rivers and streams.
• Monitor construction sites for appropriate protection against erosion.
• Support measures to facilitate "greener" transportation,  such as bike paths, sidewalks, public buses, ride sharing etc.

Employ your knowledge of science where it is sorely needed:

• Examine National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued to municipalities and industries - further information found in Permits.
• Review Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for their capacity to solve problems - see Permits.
• The Georgia EPD and South Carolina DHEC are overworked and understaffed; help be their eyes and ears by monitoring agricultural and forestry practices for water protection measures.

Access the Savannah Riverkeeper resources as needed! A good place to start might be our Water Quality Primer course. The Riverkeeper can be reached at info@savannahriverkeeper.org, 706-826-8991