SOS:

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SOS
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education
Save Our Streams
by Kathy Woodard
www.people.virginia.edu/sos-iwla/Stream-Study/Str
eamStudyHomePage/StreamStudy.HTML
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What is Save Our Streams?
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education
A Biological Stream Monitoring Program

• Student and community member volunteers
• Get trained in macroinvertebrate identification
• Monitor a stream 4 times a year
• Send results to the SOS database

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Why Save Our Streams?
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education

• Learn more about stream ecology
• Discover how clean your stream is
• Share your data with others
• Take action to keep your watershed clean

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SOS and SOLs
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education
You can teach many Virginia SOLs through the SOS
program

• Kindergarten K.1, K.6
• 1st grade 1.1, 1.5, 1.7, 1.8
• 2nd grade 2.1, 2.4, 2.5
• 3rd grade 3.1, 3.6, 3.9, 3.10
• 4th grade 4.1, 4.5, 4.8
• 5th grade 5.1

• 6th grade 6.1, 6.8, 6.9, 6.11
• Life Science LS1, LS4, LS5, LS7, LS10, LS11,
  LS12
• Earth Science ES1, ES7, ES9
• Biology BIO1, BIO3, BIO7, BIO9

For details on the SOLs listed above visit
http//www.pen.k12.va.us/go/Sols/science.html.
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Steps to Get Started
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education
1. Choose training or a certified monitor
2. Locate a Stream Site
3. Review Safety Procedures
4. Collect Macroinvertebrates
5. Identify Macroinvertebrates
6. Record Data to Determine Stream Health
You Are Ready to Save Our Streams
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1. Choose
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education
or a
Training
Certified Monitor
Set up a 3-4 hour training session. In Virginia
contact Carol Harlow of SOS at 540-377-6179, or
creeks63_at_hotmail.com.
LEEP has volunteers who are already certified.
Contact Kathy Woodard at 540-872-2897, or
woodard_kathy_at_hotmail.com
Or visit www.sosva.com and choose Methods
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2. Locate a Stream Site
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education

• Find a stream in your area using maps. Visit
  mapquest.com, or call Va. Dept. of Mineral
  Resources 804-951-6340 to order 4 topographic
  maps.
• Ask the landowner for permission. Your county
  office will have maps that show who owns the land.

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3. Review Safety Procedures
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education

• Bring a first aid kit
• One adult for every six children under 18
• Work only in good weather
• Do not work on steep slopes or rapids
• Never drink stream water
• Do not handle sharp objects or broken glass
• Stay with the group wash hands when done
• Never put hands or feet where you cannot see
• Watch out for snakes and other wildlife
• Modified from Conducting a Stream Cleanup A
  How To Manual, VA DCR

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4. Collect Macroinvertebrates
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education
Gather water insects and crustaceans with nets or
sieves. Rub rocks to remove bugs.
Keep in containers filled with water, so you can
return them to the stream later.
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5. Identify Macroinvertebrates
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education
Which bug is this?
Click on your answer

• You may want to practice with the online
  identification key available at
  www.people.virginia.edu/sos-iwla/Stream-Study
• Print a field guide from www.sosva.com/bugidcard.d
  oc to use at the stream.

Scientific drawings from www.people.virginia.edu/
sos-iwla
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Mayfly Larva
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education
No, sorry!
Mayfly Larva are very sensitive to pollution.
That means if you had found one you would know
your water quality was excellent, because they
can only survive in clean water.
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Dragonfly Larva
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education
Yes, great observation!
Dragonfly Larva are somewhat sensitive to
pollution. They can survive in clean,
or moderately polluted water. At least you know
your water is not very polluted. To see if it is
clean or moderately polluted you would need to
identify the other macroinvertebrates you found.
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Leech
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education
No, sorry!
Leeches are not sensitive to pollution.
They can survive in clean, moderately polluted,
or very polluted water. So you would have to see
what other macroinvertebrates you found to
determine your water quality.
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6. Record Data to Determine Stream Health
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education
State of the York Watershed 2000
Data forms available at
www.sosva.com/methods.htm or http//www.people.vi
rginia.edu/sos-iwla/Stream-Study/Methods/Form.HTM
L
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You Are Ready to Save Our Streams!
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education
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Works Cited
Lessons from the Bay
Virginia Department of Education

• Mills, B. S. State of the York Watershed
  2000.
• VA DCR. Conducting a Stream Cleanup A How To
  Manual.
• www.people.virginia.edu/sos-iwla /Stream-Study
• www.mapquest.com
• www.sosva.com
• www.pen.k12.va.us/go/Sols/science.html