Adopt-A-Stream Program

The Adopt-A-Stream program is a volunteer based mission coordinated by the TVWA in partnership with the Fairbanks Stormwater Advisory Committee. The goal is to get residents and local businesses involved in monitoring the water quality and fish and wildlife habitat of our local streams. Our Community Working Together to Enhance Our Waterways WHO: Volunteers, volunteers, volunteers!!! The Adopt-A-Stream program is a volunteer based mission coordinated by the Tanana Valley Watershed Association (TVWA). The goal is to get residents and local businesses involved in monitoring the water quality and fish and wildlife habitat of our local streams. "Stream Teams" can be formed to work together or to take turns. Possible team members could be comprised of families, businesses, schools, clubs, fellow employees, churches, stream-side property owners -- the more the better! If you are interested in adopting a stream, please read through this site to familiarize yourself with the options available. Read the Click here for details » for specific information about what adopting a stream requires, and learn about the rewards you gain from adopting a stream. If you believe that Adopt-A-Stream is for you, then fill out this short SURVEY and send to the TVWA. WHAT: Adopt-A-Stream provides an array of monitoring and restoration activities that will provide citizens with the opportunity to become active stewards of the Tanana Valley Watershed. It is a hands-on way to get actively involved. The following activities are available and there is no limit to how many you can be involved with: Litter Pickup - Trash and litter pose a major problem with our streams and sloughs and rivers. By volunteering to clean-up your chosen section of a river or slough at least twice a year you can help improve the health of these waterbodies. Unfortunately, some waterways are "used" more than others and will require more attention. Gloves and garbage bags will be available; however, you will be responsible for disposing of the garbage at the appropriate transfer station or local landfill. Click here for details » Streambank Preservation - If you own property along a waterway, you can play an especially important part in the Adopt-A-Stream Program. The plants growing along streams, sloughs and rivers are referred to as riparian vegetation. They provide many vital functions to the waterway. They protect the bank from erosion, help filter out pollutants, provide habitat and migration corridors for many birds and animals, and provide food, protection and shade for fish. We have developed several different levels of participation in this element of our program, with varying levels of recognition. Click here for details » Water Quality Monitoring - Have you ever wondered if the Chena River is safe enough to swim in or fish from? How about Noyes or Chena Slough? Monitoring the water quality provides this basic information. Fairbanks is the largest city in Interior Alaska and both the Chena and Tanana Rivers must pass through or near the cities network of roads and parking lots. The Chena River empties into the Tanana River, which empties into the Yukon River, which goes to the Bering Sea. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 85 % of the nitrogen found in the Yukon River near the Bering Sea comes from the Fairbanks area. Monitoring can be conducted at regular sites on a continuous basis ("fixed station" monitoring), at selected sites on an as needed basis or to answer specific questions, or on an emergency basis (such as after a spill event). Click here for details » Bioassessment Monitoring - The number and type of macroinvertebrates (bugs) found in a stream can help determine the health of that stream. Some invertebrate species are sensitive to contaminants, and in areas of high pollution, their population numbers dwindle. By establishing a baseline macroinvertebrate population for a stream system, we will be able to detect problems if they arrive by changes in the population. Tiny diatoms (single-celled algae) give us valuable information about the bottom of the food chain. These will also be collected using a glass plate. All diatom specimens will be sent to our labs, but you get to sort and identify the bugs you collect - YEAH!! An invertebrate collection kit will be available for summer sampling. The included habitat traps should be collected at least 3 times during the open water season. This is a great project for a Stream Team or a high school summer program. Click here for details » Beaver and/or Beaver Dam Management - Beaver, unlike their natural predators, flourish in populated areas. Problems with fish passage and health of some of the sloughs impacted by the Chena River Flood Control Project, is due in part to the increasing number and size of beaver dams that are no longer removed each year by high-water flows. To re-establish and maintain fish passage and a continuous flow through these waterbodies, the population of beaver per stream system must be managed and the dams kept to a minimum number and height. This program will be managed in coordination with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife Conservation Division. This is another great project for a Stream Team. Click here for details » Funding - If you cannot volunteer time and energy to any of the above projects, we welcome needed support of the program by financial donations. Funding will be needed to keep this program operating smoothly; collecting, organizing and analyzing all the data; and to keep it active well into the future. WHERE: Any waterbody that flows within the Tanana River watershed such as the Chena or Tanana River, Chena, Noyes, or Deadman Slough, Goldstream Creek, or Clearwater Creek. Choose one that is close to your home or place of business or one that is meaningful or interesting to you. WHEN: The Adopt-A-Stream program kicked off June 1, 2007. You can join in at any time! HOW: Fill out the Adopt-A-Stream Agreement Form for the specific Adopt-A-Stream project you are interested in and email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or mail to PO Box 84104, Fairbanks, Alaska 99708. Please email us with any questions you have. WHY: The waterways of our community are an essential part of what makes the Tanana Valley a wonderful and exceptional place to live, work and visit. Assessing and improving the health of our watershed is a much bigger task than any one agency can take on. This is a community size task. Plus, this is fun stuff!!! Many of the activities within the Adopt-A-Stream program can be unique educational tools and all of the activities are an extraordinary way for members of the community to get involved. The results from some of the sampling or restoration efforts can lead to positive changes in waterways within the Tanana Valley Watershed (e.g., fish habitat restoration, solving erosion control problems, removing point source pollution sources). Let's take pride in the Tanana Valley Watershed and see what we, as a community, can accomplish together. GET INVOLVED TODAY!!