All of life depends on water, and all of us are citizens of a watershed. Our activities and the ways we use our water resources and the land adjacent to the water affect the quality of our drinking water, our recreational opportunities, and the health and diversity of aquatic plants and animals. Our activities also effect whether our rivers and streams will continue to be beautiful places to visit and vistas to contemplate.

The water quality of a nearby stream, a watershed, or a large river system can be enhanced only by collecting good information about conditions and by responding to th...