PORT ANGELES — Clallam County’s volunteer Streamkeepers will receive a new field kit — four bags of equipment worth more than $7,000 — from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The money is an addition to the department’s support for Streamkeepers that has totaled nearly $119,000 in the past five years.
County commissioners approved the contract amendment Tuesday.
“It’s a sign that we’ve got a successful program that the Department of Fish and Wildlife would give us this grant to buy this field kit,” said Ed Chadd, co-manager of the volunteer organization.
The kit will be the fourth that the group owns.
The gadgets, such as magnifying glasses, forceps and a stopwatch, aren’t what make it so costly.
It’s the $5,700 worth of electronic equipment like meters that measure stream flow ($1,900) and water clarity ($1,000).
Streamkeepers measure the biological, chemical and physical health quality of Clallam County creeks for the state Department of Ecology as well as for Fish and Wildlife, plus federal groups like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The volunteer effort started in 1997 for a project run by the Washington State University Extension Service.
After the work ended in 1999, the 50 volunteers decided to continue as a county agency.
Since then, the group has grown to 150 members.
