A project that enlists volunteers to monitor water quality of creeks and rivers in the Pigeon River watershed will soon be expanding, thanks to an $18,000 grant from the Pigeon River Fund.

The Stream Monitoring Information Exchange program run by Clean Water for North Carolina formed two years ago as a clearinghouse for water quality data and collaboration in the region.

“This is a real opportunity to deepen regional knowledge about streams while we increase public participation in assessing water quality and giving folks a chance to report emerging threats,” said Gracia O’Neill, Outreach Coordinator of Clean Water for NC and coordinator of the SMIE.

In addition to tracking general trends in water quality, the results are used directly by the N.C. Division of Water Quality to identify any “red flags” indicating a change in water quality that need to be investigated.

Data from the monitoring is posted on an interactive Internet site.

Some participating waterways are Crabtree, Jonathan and Richland creeks in Haywood County. The program expects to expand this fall to include at least 5 additional sites, including the Newfound watershed.

In addition to Clean Water for North Carolina, participating organizations include Haywood Waterways, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere, Watershed Association of the Tuckaseegee River, SouthWings and others.

The next volunteer training day will be held early this fall at Haywood Community College. For more information or to sign up for future trainings call 828.251.1291 or gracia@cwfnc.org.