Stream Team License Plates

I finally did it - I ordered my Stream Team license plates!  I started thinking about doing this in July when the program got off the ground.  The Missouri Stream Team Watershed Coalition (MSTWC) had been working on getting approval for these plates for a couple of years (many thanks to Mark Van Patten and Holly Neill).  Then we hit the world of procrastination; the forms for ordering plates for our two cars sat on the kitchen counter for three months along with notices from school, reminders to take the cat to the vet, and other important papers that hadn't quite been that important yet.

Now all we need is a total of 200 Stream Team members (or anyone, for that matter) to pre-order their plate, including the donation to MSTWC.  I'm hoping that you might be the next to place an order.  It isn't hard, once you figure out what statement you would be willing to make on your vehicles.  There is just one simple form to fill out, available on the MSTWC website.  To fill this out, you need to know the VIN number and current license plate on the vehicle, as well as your contact information as shown on your title.

So have you decided what you want your plate to say yet?  You can list up to six choices on the application, just in case your preferred plate name is taken.  Some folks are sticking with their Stream Team number.  I couldn't go that route because I have too many numbers!  If you want to use some form of 'water' on your plate, you can try H2O or WTR.  You could try the name or an abbreviation of your favorite stream.  'Deer Creek' might be easy with DEERCR if it is not already taken.  'Two-Mile Creek' could become 2MI CR.  'Grand Glaize Creek' is a bit more tough - perhaps GG CR or GRANDG.  Or there are thousands of non-Stream Team personalizations that I'm sure you can come up with. 

As for me, I'm glad I sent in my choices and my check.  Meanwhile, the cat still needs to go to the vet....

Team of the Month - October 2011

This month, I would like to introduce a Stream Team that I have worked with in the past, but unfortunately have not had the time to work with recently - the Grand Glaize Stream Team 3491 led by Bob Jung and Darlene Haun.  This group came into being in 2007 to respond to a call for help from the St. Louis County Health Department.

The Health Department had earned a grant to improve water quality in several watersheds, including Grand Glaize.  They were hoping that Stream Team volunteers would be able to help them track water quality conditions in the streams they were working to improve.  I got together with Bob and Darlene and we put together a plan - what should we monitor, where, how often, etc. - all of the things that go into a solid water monitoring plan. It would seem that our plan was more realistic than that of the Health Department, because after about a year of effort, they ended up backing out on the grant.

Since this group began, they have monitored water chemistry at 13 sites in the Grand Glaize Creek watershed four times per year.  They have also done macroinvertebrate counts at each site.  Though the Health Department is no longer working on their grant in the Grand Glaize, the dedicated members of this Stream Team continue to collect their data.  Hopefully this data can be compiled into a report of some kind soon so that the Level 2 and 3 volunteers (as well as the many Intro Level, Level 1, and untrained participants) who have helped on this project will be able to see what this data can tell us about Grand Glaize Creek.  I'll keep you updated...

Well done Stream Team 3491!

River des Peres Watershed-Wide Water Quality Review

Last weekend, the River des Peres Watershed Coalition held their 6th Annual Watershed-Wide Water Quality Review.  This event is timed each year to coordinate with World Water Monitoring Day.

During this event, trained Stream Team volunteers ventured out across the watershed to collect water quality samples.  Over the past 6 years, the group has managed to monitor up to 32 sites, though not always on the same day.  Volunteers met at 8:30am in Forest Park on Sunday, October 2nd.  After receiving their site assignments, the five groups dispersed to monitor their sites.  They met up again around noon at CiCi's Pizza in Rock Hill to share their data over a tasty pizza buffet.

If you missed out on the fun last weekend, there are still opportunities to participate!  This Sunday afternoon, October 9th, the Gravois Creek portion of the River des Peres watershed is the place to be!!  Participants in the Gravois Creek 'Bike With Your Boots On' event will meet at 12:30 at the parking lot of the Crestwood Public Works building (8699 Pardee Rd).  Then they will ride their bikes as a group along Grant's Trail, stopping along the way to test the water quality in the stream.  If you plan on attending, please call Eric at 314-603-8834 or e-mail riverdesperes@thegreencenter.org.

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Upcoming Event: St. Louis Stream Team Summit - September 17th

On September 17th, Stream Team volunteers from across the area are invited to the St. Louis Stream Team Summit.  Summit topics were chosen based on the results of a survey that was sent out to all of the Stream Teams in St. Louis area and will include regional pollution problems, flash flooding, rain gardens, invasive species, and local restoration efforts.

Featured plenary speakers include:

• Holly Neill, Executive Director of the Missouri Stream Team Watershed Coalition,
• Lance LeComb, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, and 
• Tom Siegel, Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The Summit will run from 9:00 till 4:30 with the registration table opening at 8:15.  Lunch is provided.  Admission of $10 per person is due in advance to the Missouri Stream Team Watershed Coalition - all proceeds will be divided between the three Stream Team Associations that serve the St. Louis area:

• Greenway Network,
• Northern Ozarks River Partnership (NORP), and
• River des Peres Watershed Coalition (RdPWC). 

For details or to register, see the StreamGram sent out for the event.