Community Science is…

a program designed for people who want to make a difference. Committed volunteers regularly come together in the field to collect meaningful data that helps with watershed protection, restoration, and climate resiliency. Make a big splash and become a volunteer!

Join Us!
Three elderly people standing in a river with lush green trees in the background, smiling, holding a butterfly net together.
A female volunteer, wearing a blue t-shirt with yellow text reading 'STREAM TEAM VOLUNTEER' and a beige cap, stands near a riverbank surrounded by green plants. She is looking at the water, where a person dressed in black is bent down, possibly collecting water samples, with sunlight causing lens flare.

Click to learn more:

  • Stream Team volunteers collectively monitor over a dozen stream sites that are a part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Once a month, our community of volunteers gather at their designated stream sites, report on environmental conditions, collect water quality samples, and log data. The water doesn’t stop flowing, and neither do our volunteers. Stream Teams operate year-round.

    The data collected by these engaged residents is uploaded to the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative where it can be accessed by scientists, land/watershed managers, and used locally to inform stream restoration projects.

    All Stream Team volunteers are required to do a brief training prior to getting started. Our stream volunteers use the water quality monitoring protocols from Dickinson College’s Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM). In addition to ALLARM’s protocol, our volunteers also test for chloride to support OCCA’s Salt Watch Road and Driveway Salt Education Program.

  • 2025 Calendar
    June 19 - June 23
    July 5 - July 9
    *extra water sample required for quality control
    **Data interpretation Workshop July 9- 6-9pm
    Aug 21 - Aug 25
    Sep 18 - Sept 22
    Oct 16 - Oct 20
    Nov 20 - 24
    Dec 18 - Dec 22

    Stream Monitoring Manual
    Click Here to View


  • Lake Team members monitor the water quality of Otego Lake and Canadarago Lake. This work is done in collaboration with the Otsego Lake Association and the Canadarago Lake Improvement Association.

    Our Lake Team volunteers follow the Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) sampling protocols to collect water quality data and assist with transporting samples to the lab.

    Lake Team tracks key factors such as temperature, clarity, conductivity, pH, color, Phosphorus, Nitrogen, chlorophyll, calcium, cyanobacteria, and invasive species.

    The data collected informs future lake drainage projects to restore tributary healthy and improve stormwater management in the watershed. Data will also help our understanding of conditions that give rise to Harmful Algae Blooms so we can aim to develop solutions to this growing problem.

  • Culvert Team assesses the conditions of stream crossings in the Candarago Lake, Otsego Lake, and Butternut Creek watersheds using protocols developed by the North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC).


    The data collected by Culvert Team volunteers and shared by OCCA will lead to more rapid repair, replacement, and enhancement of problematic culverts in Otsego County. The data also supports stream health improvements, such as habitat connectivity for species of interest, and climate resiliency.

    The data collected is also uploaded to NAACC’s online database, making it accessible to the broader community, including the Otsego County Planning Department, Otsego County Highway Department, and Otsego County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Person standing in a shallow creek or river, bending over and reaching into the water, surrounded by lush green foliage with sunlight streaming through.
Three people conducting outdoor scientific research. One woman in a red jacket is handling test tubes and liquids, while two men observe and take notes, one of whom is writing in a clipboard, on a grassy area beside a concrete structure.
Woman bending down in shallow river wearing boots, vest, and glasses, reaching into the water near a shoreline with leafless bushes and trees.
A person wearing a bright yellow rain jacket and gloves holding a clipboard with a survey form by a small creek with bare trees and brown grasses in the background.
A person in a green winter coat kneeling on snow-covered ground, leaning over a narrow, partially frozen stream in a snowy forest.
A woman in winter clothing, including a colorful knit hat, glasses, and gloves, kneeling on snow by a partially frozen river or pond with leafless trees in the background. She is working with scientific supplies, including a clipboard and bottles, on
Person wading in a calm river with a sunny, rural landscape overhead and house silhouette in the background.
Two people in waterproof clothing and yellow safety vests wading in a river under a concrete bridge, using a measuring pole for water level measurement.
Top-down view of a clear glass held by a person wearing light-colored pants and a green jacket, with a hand visible, standing on rocky ground near a body of water.
A woman preparing medical supplies on a table in the back of a pickup truck outdoors, with green trees and grass in the background.