Arkansas is blessed with thousands of miles of streams that provide recreation, water and serenity for ourselves and our children, but they need your help. If you are already a Stream Team volunteer, you will find information galore on organizing your Team members, participating in a variety of activities, and communicating with other Stream Teams all across the Natural state.
If you are interested in forming an Arkansas Stream Team, we have information on that, too. You should know now that Stream Teams are people with an interest and a passion for Arkansas' beautiful streams. Exploring the Stream Team website will show you how citizens have adopted a stream segment, volunteered their time and effort to improve and/or monitor it, and have banded together with other Stream Teams to help improve the overall quality of Arkansas' streams.
STREAM TEAM is a network of people who care about Arkansas streams. You may want to join to improve water resources or simply to stay informed of stream related issues. The only membership requirement is concern for Arkansas’s flowing water resources. As a TEAM member you will have the opportunity to learn more about the problems confronting Arkansas streams and the actions needed to maintain or restore their health. As a TEAM player, you’ll have the opportunity to get involv-ed in many different kinds of water conservation efforts.
Arkansas has over 90,000 miles of streams, rivers, springs, and bayous that flow through the state providing millions of recreational hours, gallons of drinking water, and dollars of income to the state’s citizens. The integrity of many state streams has been compromised to the point where we have lost thousands of miles of free flowing and natural streams due to damming, instream mining, industrial pollution, and numerous other impacts. The level of stream degradation is not acceptable to most Arkansas and the flowing water resources of our state are in dire need of volunteers ready to work in and stand up for the Natural State’s streams.
It’s easy! Signing up is the first step, then you will receive a “start-up” kit. A steady “stream” of information and newsletters will follow. Members can adopt a stream, determine river values and problems, and plan projects with the landowners, based on these assessments, with technical assistance from the program sponsors. STREAM TEAM can serve as a network to other TEAM members if you so elect or each individual can work on his own.
STREAM TEAM membership is free to any interested citizen, family, or organization. To join Arkansas Stream Team you can select the "sign up" option from our website; then complete the registration process via email. After your registered with us, you will be able to follow all activities within Arkansas via this website, our newsletters and/or by email. You may also add any number of the existing stream teams to your favorites list so that you can watch their activity and even participate as a volunteer, but it’s not necessary now. You and your group may want to study several streams before selecting one for further work. We can also suggest or assign streams if you so choose. Once you have a group and a stream, you’re set. You establish the course of events in improving your stream. We’ll help you with ideas, support and some materials, but only you have the power over the future course of your STREAM TEAM.
Return the completed form and you will receive an inventory form and directions for surveying your chosen stream. Stream Team members can adopt a stream, determine its current situation and plan a project based on their initial survey. This is done with the landowner’s approval and technical assistance from program sponsors. Projects can include litter pick-ups, water-quality monitoring, streambank erosion control, watershed improvement and more. Your imagination is the only limitation.
Join the Arkansas Stream Team. Get your feet wet, and help us conserve Arkansas’ streams for future generations.
The Arkansas Stream Team is co-sponsored by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of Environmental Quality, Soil and Water Conservation Commission, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Parks and Tourism, Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission, University of Arkansas, Cooperative Extension Service, 4-H RESQ Center, Arkansas Cattleman’s Association, Arkansas Chapter of the Sierra Club, Arkansas River Valley Feeds, Three Rivers Audubon Club, Arkansas Bass Association, Arkansas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Trout Unlimited, Arkansas Canoe Club, Cargile Pork, Ducks Unlimited, Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.