Adopt-A-Stream

PWSWCD Invites You to Join the Adopt-A-Stream Team

Please join the Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District in Adopting a local park or neighborhood steam, lake or river. Your group or organization can help to preserve, protect and revitalize community streams. Plan a morning or afternoon outing for your group at a local stream once or twice a year. Collect trash along a half-mile segment of stream bank and record how much trash you collected. PWSWCD and the VA Department of Conservation and Recreation will recognize your group with an 18-inch "Adopt-A-Stream" sign with your group’s name and the stream name for that site. Scout troops, 4-H clubs, homeowners association, families, businesses, sports teams or other organizations can adopt a stream. This benefits our local Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. Students can use the time towards community service hours and help kids’ care for land area around our parks, soccer fields, etc, and you will really make a difference. It’s easy, fun and a great team-building experience for all ages.

PWSI Courage 90 Red soccer team adopts stream at Chinn Soccer Fields.

You select the stream (or we can help). We arrange for trash pick up and disposal after your clean-up. Call or e-mail now to request an information packet or to request a speaker for your group. Kelly Jimenez, Outreach and Education Specialist at 703-594-3621 or kellyjimenez@pwswcd.org.

The top ten items found in Virginia Waterways are cigarettes, drink bottles, cups and cans, food wrappers, bags, caps/lids, straws/stirrers, and believe it or not, balloons! It turns out that 60-80% of litter in our waterways comes from inland sources where water flowing downhill carries it into lower-lying areas in each watershed.

In the Adopt-A-Stream program, volunteers agree to pick up litter along their adopted stream segment of at least 1/4 mile once or twice per year for two years. Group leaders receive orange safety vests, orange bags and safety gloves for the group. Each group is also recognized with a road sign naming the adopting individual, group or business. The sign also names the pond, stream, river, or other waterway adopted. The county picks up the trash that has been removed from the streams by the adopting group.

There are about 1,100 miles of streams in Prince William County. From inception (July, 2005) to June 30, 2007, 52.7 miles of streams were adopted and 24,816 pounds of trash removed by homeowners associations, small businesses, scout troops, church groups, sports teams, and individuals or families. Businesses are strongly urged to join the Adopt-A-Stream program and receive recognition for their stewardship of the environment.

The District helps individuals or groups find the ideal location to match their interest. For more information click here, to apply to be an Adopt-A-Stream Steward click here, to schedule a clean up click here, to report on results of a stream clean up click here, or contact Kelly Jimenez at Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District - (703) 594-3621 or kellyjimenez@pwswcd.org.

PWSWCD Adopt-A-Stream Program Exceeds County Goals

In FY 2007, Prince William County set a goal for the Adopt-A-Stream program to remove 900 pounds of trash and adopt out 10 miles of stream. After work by hundreds of volunteers, 7.25 miles of stream in Prince William County were adopted and approximately 12,608 pounds of trash were removed from streams and stream banks! Thank you to all of the volunteers who have made the program so successful and helped to improve water quality in our communities. Great Job!

Local Conservationist Receives Recognition by Ducks Unlimited

The Prince William Soil & Water Conservation District (PWSWCD) nominated Eric VanNortwick to receive the 2007 Ducks Unlimited Conservationist of the Year Award. Each year the award is presented by Ducks Unlimited (DU) to recognize and show appreciation for exceptional conservation efforts on the part of a Prince William County resident, chosen by PWSWCD staff. Mr. VanNortwick is recognized for his extraordinary commitment to improving the water quality of Neabsco Creek.

Mr. VanNortwick is a member of Adopt-A-Stream in Prince William County. The Adopt-A-Stream program is a statewide litter education and cleanup campaign aimed at promoting citizen based stewardship of the commonwealth’s water resources. Participants make a commitment to clean a minimum of a quarter of mile of shoreline at least once a year for two years.

As an avid hiker Mr. VanNortwick saw the need to cleanup Neabsco Creek and surrounding areas. On March 17^th of 2006, Mr. VanNortwick joined the Adopt–A-Stream program by agreeing to clean a one mile segment of Neabsco Creek. The Neabsco Creek watershed has been identified by EPA as an "area of significant habitat degradation due to a loss of natural land cover and storm water management facilities designed without consideration for environmental conditions." He has augmented these efforts by joining Adopt-A-Spot. The Clean Community Council of Prince William County sponsors this program that encourages individuals to take responsibility for litter prevention and maintenance in Prince William County. Mr. VanNortwick has made the commitment to clean these identified spots a minimum of nine times during a 12-month period.

In just nine months Mr. VanNortwick has far exceeded all commitments. He has cleaned Neabsco Creek 26 times devoting over 78 hours of his time. In the process he has removed over 2,320 pounds of trash from 11 miles of streambank. The trash has included bikes, tires, toilets, car parts and batteries, along with hazardous materials.

Additionally, he mentored students from Benton Middle School as they organized and conducted their first stream cleanup. The Lake Jackson Mid-County Lions Club explored and joined the Adopt-A-Stream program based on Mr. VanNortwick’s encouragement.

PWSWCD is pleased that Ducks Unlimited recognized Mr. VanNortwick as the Conservationist of the Year for his outstanding commitment to cleaning and protecting water quality in the Neabsco Creek Watershed .

In just nine months Mr. VanNortwick has cleaned Neabsco Creek 26 times devoting over 78 hours of his time. In the process he has removed over 2,320 pounds of trash from 11 miles of streambank.