National Water Quality Month and the Confluence at Mingo Creek

August marks National Water Quality Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of maintaining clean and healthy waterways.

For the SW PA Water Network, this month, and every month, highlights how critical volunteers and non-government organizations are to preserving the quality of our creeks, rivers, and springs.  Protecting water quality is a community effort.

At the Confluence in Confluence in June we learned how enjoying the outdoor spaces of the Allegheny Plateau and Highlands is our chance to keep alert for opportunities to improve water quality, lessen erosion, increase wildlife habitat, and build wonderful communities.

We will gather again at the Confluence at Mingo Creek on September 28 and remind ourselves that joining a watershed group and forming partnerships with Conservation Districts or local governments is a chance to advance those opportunities.

We will strive to connect those inspired to steward our valleys and streams on their own with programs that support them.  For instance, Keep PA Beautiful supports Waterway Stewards to engage water trail users, outdoor and waterway enthusiasts, anglers and Allegheny Cleanways supports Gratekeepers that remove litter and debris from closer to the source (which is each of us); reducing flood risk and making our rivers cleaner.

Thank you to all those volunteers that regularly monitor, steward and track the water quality of our creeks.  Kudos to those that lead and assist with volunteer cleanups, whether the debris is weighed in bags or tons.

This month the Three Rivers Waterkeeper and its partner Living Lands & Watersremoved tons of metals and debris from the Rivers at their convergence in Pittsburgh.

Throughout September we will continue to highlight the groups and creatives that steward our waters and that will activate the Confluence at Mingo Creek.

Register here and attend our celebration of Watershed organizations on September 28 to learn more about the power of watershed organizations and the strength of volunteers.