“Stream Team” Volunteers Take to the Field

Farm in Harlem Valley, Connecticut, near the Ten Mile River

NRCS Earth Team volunteers, also known locally as the Ten Mile River Stream Team (or just “stream team”) led by Tonia Shoumatoff, Ten Mile River watershed coordinator, for the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA), recently began initiatives to clean up and protect the Ten Mile River which flows through Dover, Connecticut, and other communities in the Harlem Valley. Beginning this week, the group will lead an assessment of the Ten Mile River to determine its health and plan measures to protect the river and encourage recreational use. "These teams are the first step in a river conservation partnership that invites the business and not-for-profit sectors to join residents and community leaders on the banks of the Ten Mile River for shoreline exploration and riverfront planning," said Shoumatoff. The clean-up program will teach Earth Team volunteers how to collect information and look for data related to the health of the river, applying a technique created by Westchester County Soil and Water Conservation Authority and used to assess both the Fishkill and Wappingers Creek watersheds. Volunteers will observe and assess river channeling, stream bank vegetation and stability, condition of fish habitats, river flow barriers, excessive litter and algae, and water temperatures above 59 degrees.

 

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The Federal government recently removed the Ten Mile River from its endangered rivers list, reducing need-based aid available to keep the river healthy. The assessment project will "help raise awareness from agencies in both States," said Shoumatoff, adding that she "hoped the assessment would land HVA and the river back in line for future conservation funding." (from a ©Harlem Valley Times article by Lawrence Moore)
Your contact is Fred Jacobs, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 720-6794, or fred.jacobs@usda.gov.