City/County Adopt-a-Stream Program Receives Partnership Award

[Stormwater Education Specialist Kriste Lindberg at Bryan Park|image:28344,right]FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2017

For more information, please contact:
Kriste Lindberg, Stormwater Education Specialist, City of Bloomington Utilities Department, 812.349.3617 or [lindberk@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:lindberk@bloomington.in.gov]

Bloomington, Ind. - The City of Bloomington Parks & Recreation and Utilities Departments and Monroe County Parks and Recreation were recognized for their collaboration on Bloomington's and Monroe County's successful Adopt-a-Stream Program at the Indiana MS4 Partnership annual meeting in Indianapolis May 16.

MS4 entities (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems) are made up of elected officials, municipal staff and industry professionals from throughout Indiana. The Indiana MS4 Partnership provides guidance and information for Indiana's national pollutant discharge elimination system, or NPDES, MS4 stormwater permittees.

During their meeting May 16, the Indiana MS4 Partnership and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management presented the Adopt-a-Stream program with the "Outstanding Special Event as a Partnership" award.

According to Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department Volunteer Coordinator Nikki McEachern, community members make year-long commitments as volunteers in the Adopt-a-Stream program. Volunteers are trained to conduct inspections and cleanups of their adopted streams, as well as seasonal water quality monitoring. Twenty-two groups, individuals, and schools have adopted sections of streams in Bloomington and Monroe County since 2016.

"Adopt-a-Stream is a mutually beneficial collaboration that brings together city and county environmental protection goals," said Kriste Lindberg, stormwater education specialist with the Bloomington Utilities Department. "The program directly benefits our streams, raises awareness about water quality, and develops a sense of ownership for streams that run through our community."

Monroe County Parks and Recreation Naturalist Cathy Meyer said, "Monroe County is grateful for the assistance of volunteer stream monitors. We appreciate their efforts to help us preserve natural resources within our parks, and the water quality we all depend on."

For more information about volunteering to participate in the Adopt-a-Stream program, contact Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department volunteer coordinator Nikki McEachern at 812.349.3739 or [mceachen@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:mceachen@bloomington.in.gov]

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