Catch up on KWW activities and announcements!
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Message from Board Chair
We are starting to gear up for the 2026 stream sampling season! Training sessions are being scheduled, Support Hubs are being added, supplies are being ordered, and procedures are being refined. The KWW Board is also planning to meet in March for an organization retreat. We hope that you are thinking forward to your involvement this year, too - in whatever form that works best for you.
Support Hubs - Watch our new info video and take the review quiz
Trained Samplers - Make sure you can log into the data portal and update your sampling plans on your profile page.
Interested Samplers - Complete the online training modules and sign up for an in-person practice session.
We also have openings coming up on our Board and Committees, so please reach out if that interests you!
As always, we appreciate your support and involvement!
Tricia Coakley, KWW Chair
Change in KWW's Program Coordinator -
Welcome, Maggie Kaelin!
We greatly appreciate the contributions made by Lauren Kallmeyer during her brief time as KWW's Program Coordinator. Lauren recently took a full-time position with the Community Farm Alliance, and we are sure she will do great things for the organization. Fortunately, we were able to quickly recruit a new coordinator. Maggie Kaelin will begin working with KWW in March and can continue the great work that Lauren started. You will likely be hearing from her soon! Learn more about Maggie here.
Sampler's Corner
2026 Training: We are starting to set dates and locations for our 2026 training workshops. More dates and locations will be added as needed, so check the kywater.org website Events page for updates and to register for a workshop!
RESTORE Lab uses Kentucky Watershed Watch sampling kits and methods to document Ohio River water quality
Read more about their expedition here
Learn about the Kentucky Rural Urban Exchange and how they’re supporting our citizen science efforts here.
And, be on the lookout for our new habitat assessment training video, coming soon!
Become a Salt Watch Volunteer!
Did you know road salt — while helpful for safe winter travel — can harm our streams, aquatic life, and even drinking water? The Izaak Walton League’s Salt Watch program empowers everyday volunteers to measure chloride (salt) levels in local waterways and help protect water quality in communities like ours.
Why It Matters: Elevated salt levels can stress freshwater ecosystems and persist long after snow melts, impacting fish, bugs, and the water many of us rely on. Salt Watch data is shared nationally through the Clean Water Hub to pinpoint problem areas and advocate for smarter salting practices.
How You Can Help: Volunteers receive a FREE Salt Watch kit with easy-to-use test strips and instructions — no experience needed! Just collect samples from your favorite stream or waterway throughout the season and upload your results.
Request your kit and become a Salt Watcher today!
Support Hub Highlight:
Hancock Biological Station in the
Four Rivers Basin
Western Kentucky sits within a uniquely water-rich landscape. Few places in North America are bordered by such an extensive network of flowing water: the Mississippi River to the west, the Ohio River to the north, the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers to east, and countless smaller rivers and streams that drain the region. Living here means being constantly reminded of the value of our water resources.
Watershed Watch sampling in the Four Rivers Basin is conducted by dedicated volunteers who play a critical role in monitoring and protecting these aquatic systems. For more than 25 years, Hancock Biological Station (HBS) – Murray State University’s biological field station – has supported this volunteer effort and continues to do so by serving as a central sampling hub. HBS organizes and loans equipment, provides training and technical expertise, and hosts annual meetings to share findings and keep volunteers informed of important results.
Lastly, because HBS faculty and staff interact with students and citizens of Western Kentucky, recruiting new volunteers is a constant. For more information about sampling in the Four Rivers Basin and information about how to get involved, please visit: kywater.org or come and see us at HBS or visit our Facebook page for up-to-date information: https://www.facebook.com/MSUHBS/.
Kentucky Watershed Watch relies on donations to maintain its programming and reach additional samplers.
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