Adopt-A-Stream
Adopt-A-Stream is an exciting, citizen-lead effort to track water quality throughout the Grand Traverse Bay watershed.
Adopt-A-Stream is perfect for families, schools, neighborhood groups, employee clubs – just about anyone who cares about the deep link between our water quality and quality of life.
And all it takes is a couple hours twice a year!
Here’s How it Works
- Work with The Watershed Center to find a stream sampling location.
- Assemble a monitoring team.
- Donate $50 per team to help cover equipment costs. Or find a Stream Sponsor!
- Pledge to monitor your stream once during June and October.
- Designate a team leader, who will receive training from the Watershed Center for sampling benthic macroinvertebrates. That’s fancy scientific terminology for “aquatic insects”, which can signify a stream’s health.
Here’s What You Get
- Two team t-shirts or other featured swag item (changes annually)
- Recognition in the Watershed Center web site and newsletter
- Fun, hands-on, place-based education
- Pride of ownership in our water quality
Find Your Stream and a Team!
- Spring sampling period: any day during the first two weeks of June
- Fall sampling period: any day during the first two weeks of October
- Team leader training: immediately prior to sampling periods
To join the hands-on fun, please call 231.935.1514.
Become an Adopt-A-Stream Sponsor! 
Businesses, organizations, and individuals can become Adopt-A-Stream River or Stream Sponsors for an annual donation. Perks include:
- Name and logo on Adopt-A-Stream t-shirts
- Name and link on web site
- Name and logo in Watershed Moments print newsletters at least once per year
- Publicity in Watershed Moments e-newsletter
- Publicity on Watershed Center Facebook page
- Unique opportunity to showcase your company’s or organization’s commitment to and investment in local water quality
- Complimentary tour of Grand Traverse Bay on the Bay Monitor tugboat
Interested in becoming an Adopt-A-Stream Sponsor? Find all the sponsorship details here!
Many Thanks to Our River Sponsors!
- Consumers Energy
- Grand Traverse Resort and Spa
- Katherine Roth, M.D. and Greg Holmes, Ph.D, Integrative Health and Wellbeing
- Tom’s Food Markets
- Wildlife and Wetland Solutions
- Munson Medical Center
- Hazelnut Kids
Thank You to Our Stream Sponsors!
- The Donaldson Family
- Rotary Camps & Services Water Committee
- Elk-Skegemog Lakes Association
- Captain’s Quarters
- Grand Traverse Organic Landscapes
- Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc.
Thank You to Our Stream Teams!
- Acme Creek: Grand Traverse Resort and Spa
- Baker Creek: The Coe Family
- Bissell: The White Family
- Brewery Creek: The Hetherington Family
- Carpenter Creek: Boardman Fly Tiers
- Cedar/Hines Creek: Simkins and Bonney
- East Creek: Boardman Fly Tiers
- Kids Creek Tributary A: Simkins and Bonney
- Kids Creek Tributary AA: The Zikovich Family & Friends
- Kids Creek Main Branch: The Lewandowski Family
- Kids Creek Main Branch: Rotary Camps and Services – Water Studies Committee
- Kids Creek Main Branch: The Scheub/Winkler Family
- Leo Creek: Thornhill & Friends of Leo Creek Preserve
- Miller Creek: Clark, Kroeger and Fromm
- Mitchell Creek: VP Demand Creation Services
- Northport Creek: The LaForest Family
- Rapid River: The Claudepierre Family & Friends
- Rapid River: The Fields Family
- Rapid River: The Lawicki Family & Friends
- South Branch Boardman River: The Donaldson Family
- Water Wheel Park Creek: Etienne and Wilson
- Williamsburg Creek: The White Family
Adopt-A-Stream Data
View our 2018 Adopt A Stream Annual Report
Check out stream scores from sampling results and the location of sampled streams.
