Watershed Monitoring
Pictured: MS Fellow Thérèse Kelly collecting a water sample.
Visit local community-based organizations like South River Watershed Alliance's or WAWA's web pages to get involved!
Call Georgia Environmental Protection Division's toll-free, 24/7 emergency response number at (800) 241-4113 to report spills and releases of oil or hazardous materials.
Chattohoochee Riverkeeper continues to be a vital organization that CSAW works alongside to secure the waterways of Atlanta.
South River Watershed Alliance is an integral, community-based organization that champions the well-being of the South River.
Key Collaborators
Project Description
Championed by CSAW Core Faculty Fellow Dr. Sarah Ledford at Georgia State University, the Watershed Monitoring Project explores the relationship between anthropogenic activities, laws, and policies that shape or otherwise impact urban waterways. The densely populated, highly segregated, and majority Black headwaters of Downtown Atlanta are home to roughly 1 million people who are impacted by pollution, impervious surfaces, and aging or inadequate wastewater infrastructure.
Watershed Monitoring Network
The monitoring network currently provides bacteria monitoring for E.coli in these urban streams, which can aid in the detection and remediation of sewer spills and chronic sewer problems. The network functions through partnerships between South River Watershed Alliance and Sarah Ledford's Urban Hydrology Lab of GSU's Department of Geosciences, with samples collected by students and volunteers and processing in university laboratories by students. To date, routine monitoring remains focused on about 20 sites in the upper South River watershed.
Intrenchment Education
This initiative focuses on the monitoring of Intrenchment Creek and engagement of residents.
Sandy Creek Watershed Preparedness Plan
Championed by Community Fellow Gwen Smith, this initiative aims to collect data around air, water, and soil risk and bring the community together in five affected neighborhoods to build an emergency preparedness plan for the Sandy Creek watershed.