Summer Stream Monitoring

Discover what creek critters live in the Little Falls Branch

LFWA monitors the Little Falls Branch four times a year - doing a biological census of the macro-invertebrates that live on the bottom of the creek. This count of benthic organisms - numbers of individuals and diversity - gives us a picture of the health of our creek. By mapping the data over the years, we have good assessment of how well our stream is surviving in our dense urban area. Our monitoring is done in partnership with Nature Forward (nee Audubon Naturalist Society).

This event is primarily for trained monitors. Before going into the field, new monitors should have a basic knowledge of macroinvertebrate identification and stream ecology, either from previous training or by attending the Nature Forward water quality training sessions. Please contact Sarah Morse, stormwater@LFWA.org, for information about the Nature Forward courses and volunteering.

Rosborough Theater
409 Russell Avenue
Gaithersburg, MD
Free tickets HERE.

Montgomery Serves has named the Little Falls Watershed Alliance (LFWA) as the 2025 Volunteer Group of the Year. The Montgomery Serves Awards event honors extraordinary volunteers and community leaders in Montgomery County Maryland.  The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes individuals and groups who have demonstrated extraordinary volunteerism within the last year.

LFWA, founded in 2008 by a group of neighbors, has a mission to sustain and protect the natural environment of the Little Falls watershed located in lower Montgomery County and Upper Northwest DC focusing on action, education and stewardship.   They have engaged over 10,000 volunteers to pick up trash, restore habitat, monitor the water quality in the local creeks, and more at more than 1,000 work days. 

Along with working to remove the vines and shrubs that are strangling and killing the trees in the local parks, LFWA volunteers have restored five green areas replacing non-native invasive weeds with native trees, grasses, flowers and other plants.   

Their trash abatement program has cleaned over 70,000 pounds of trash from area creeks, roadways and parkland. 

LFWA’s active water quality monitoring program tests their creeks for fecal bacteria pollution every summer.  That testing led to the discovery of an illegal sewer hook-up from a local hotel into the Willett Branch.  

Bacteria Monitoring Training for Volunteers

Citizen Scientists are needed to take samples from our local creeks to test for fecal bacteria. After attending a training session, volunteers will be assigned to a team to monitor at sites along the Little Falls, Minnehaha or Willett Branches. Please email Sarah Morse, stormwater@LFWA.org for details.

FAQ about the program:

When do we sample?
The sampling is done every Wednesday morning before 9:30 am from June to mid-September. There is no flexibility there as all samples are sent to the lab for processing by 10:00.

What if I can’t make it every week?
It’s not necessary to be available every week as people will work in teams, but volunteers must be available to sample on Wednesday mornings.

How long does it take?
The sampling itself is a just a simple dip. We also take the pH and water temperature, so about 15 minutes total creek side. Depending on which site you are sampling, it could take another 10 minutes or so to get to the sampling spot. We recommend allowing 45 minutes.

Is there an age requirement?
This is appropriate for all ages. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a supervising adult.

How does LFWA use the data?

Fecal bacteria in the creeks represents a significant public health issue and can be an indicator of sewage leaks. Our data is posted to our website, community listservs, Facebook, and other social media outlets. We also share it with elected county officials and the WSSC.

Learn more about our program HERE.

Please contact Sarah Morse, stormwater@LFWA.org, if you are interested in joining a team and she can give you details.

Spring Stream Monitoring

(rescheduled from April 6)

Discover what creek critters live in the Little Falls Branch

LFWA monitors the Little Falls Branch four times a year - doing a biological census of the macro-invertebrates that live on the bottom of the creek. This count of benthic organisms - numbers of individuals and diversity - gives us a picture of the health of our creek. By mapping the data over the years, we have good assessment of how well our stream is surviving in our dense urban area. Our monitoring is done in partnership with Nature Forward (nee Audubon Naturalist Society).

This event is primarily for trained monitors. Before going into the field, new monitors should have a basic knowledge of macroinvertebrate identification and stream ecology, either from previous training or by attending the Nature Forward water quality training sessions. Please contact Sarah Morse, stormwater@LFWA.org, for information about the Nature Forward courses and volunteering.