Friends of Deep Creek Lake will be running the Stream Wading program the first 3 week-ends in April. Volunteers will collect samples of microinvertebrates in selected Deep Creek Lake tributaries.
Stream Waders is a program sponsored by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. They provide training to volunteers, who in turn lead other volunteers to collect and record samples taken from the streams. These samples are sent to the DNR Lab scientists for evaluation.
There have been 2 previous Stream Wader assessments done at Deep Creek Lake, one in 2004 and the other in 2006. A total of 31 sites were sampled. Of these sites, 80% were found to be rated either “poor” or “very poor”. Only one site was found to be “good”. This was in the upper reach of Pawn Run but just below this site another sample found the water quality to be “poor”. The site at the State Park on Meadow Run Creek was found to be “very poor”.
Much of the water quality testing done at Deep Creek Lake is done in the actual lake. The information generated by the Stream Waders program is the only data on the watershed water quality and therefore of critical importance in understanding the water quality decline at the lake.
Volunteers are urged to sign up with Friends of Deep Creek Lake. Sampling dates are April 4-7, April 10-11 and April 17-18. Go on line at friendsofdcl.org to register or for more information call 301-873-1519.
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