With funding cut, Iowa volunteers step in to carry on water monitoring
With funding for Iowa’s statewide water-quality monitoring system uncertain, volunteers across the state have stepped up to test local waterways for nitrate and other pollutants. One program volunteers turn to…
Meet a Monitor: Jiwoo Lee
Jiwoo, Virginia Save Our Streams’ youngest volunteer trainer, used to be afraid of bugs. Now she’s an intern in the Odanata collection at Smithsonian, is developing a macroinvertebrate identification AI model and wants to study entomology in college.
First Annual Nitrate Pollution Awareness Week Reaches a Broad Audience
Author: Sam Puckett, Clean Water Program Director Outdoor America 2026, Issue 3 Between July 26 and August 1, 2026, thousands of community members, clean water advocates and public health supporters…
Iowa kayaker paddles East Nishnabotna River establishing record time and testing water quality
Trevor Boyer kayaked the entire East Nishnabotna River from Atlantic, Iowa, to Brownville, Nebraska, completing the journey in about 32 hours while setting a record and promoting outdoor recreation. Along…
Meet a Monitor: Richard Love
By: Abby Hileman, Salt Watch Coordinator Community science relies heavily on dedicated local volunteers. For Richard Love, protecting local watersheds blends seamlessly with community connection. Today, he serves as an…
2026: VA SOS’s Biggest Spring Yet
Check out the results of the Spring 2026 VA SOS monitoring season, plus a leaderboard of the top sites, groups, and volunteers.
Meet a Monitor: Paityn and Mackenzie
By: Abby Hileman, Salt Watch Coordinator The Izaak Walton League of America has been working to conserve habitats for future generations since 1922. Over a century later, a new generation…
‘Buchanan trio earns Save Our Streams certification’
This article from Chad Cooper of The Virginia Mountaineer highlights a recent Virginia Save Our Streams (VA SOS) training held in Buchanan County, Virginia. The VA SOS monitor trainers certified…
What is in Store for Nitrate Pollution Awareness Week
When you pour a glass of water from the kitchen tap or watch a local stream ripple by, you assume it’s clean if it looks clear. But there is a…
Your kit will include a bottle containing 25 nitrate test strips which you can use to test your water source(s) throughout the year. You’ll also receive postcards explaining how to use your nitrate test strips and how to share your Nitrate Watch results on the Clean Water Hub.
Your kit will include four test strips so you can test your waterway throughout the season. You’ll also receive a chart to help you interpret your results and a postcard with instructions for completing a Salt Watch test and reporting your findings.