Georgia Adopt-A-Stream offers many opportunities to engage and protect waterways. Follow the below steps to get started, it's simple!

1. Select a Site to Adopt. Look around your neighborhood and find a stream, wetland or lake that you would like to learn about. Georgia Adopt-A-Stream does not assign streams, wetlands or lakes. We suggest you find a waterbody that is easy, safe and legal to access.
2. Create a Group. More than likely you will need help when adopting a site to monitor, restore and protect. It's always better to have two sets of eyes collecting data, to help with equipment and costs, and then also for safety reasons.
3. Get informed, read your manuals! Get a copy of the manual 'Getting To Know Your Watershed.' To obtain a copy, contact the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream office or download a copy by clicking here. Chapter 1 of this manual will give you some basic background on watersheds, the water cycle and effects of development. Chapter 2 provides background on nonpoint source pollution and some of the laws that are used to protect water quality. In Chapter 3, Getting Started, follow the directions on how to register your stream, wetland or lake.
4. Determine your level of participation and goals. There are many levels to adopting a waterway. Take your time and think about why you want to monitor, what type of data you want to collect and who may be interested in using your data. Call us anytime if you need advice or guidance, and we can help guide you through this process:
   1. Basic level: Conduct one outreach event (i.e. river cleanup) and walk your watershed.
   2. Monitoring: In addition to 'A,' select any of our monitoring programs that interest your group (visual survey, macroinvertebrates, bacterial, chemical, amphibian monitoring).
   * We are more than happy to come do an introduction/Getting Started workshop for your group if you would like to have us see your site and answer questions.
5. Attend a workshop. Depending on what you decide for your level of participation, you and your group may be interested in attending some of our monitoring workshops. These workshops are fun and informative.

   To learn more about these workshops click here.

   To view a list of upcoming workshops click here.

   If there is not a workshop scheduled for your area, please contact your local coordinator or the State Office.

6. Register your group and site(s). Registering your waterbody will take some thought and work. Registration forms are on our website under 'Forms & Reports.' Register your group first, then any number of sites.
7. Take it slow and ask questions. Becoming a part of Adopt-A-Stream is the beginning of a life-long learning experience. Biology, chemistry, geology, land use, policy, education and community spirit all have an influence on your stream, wetland or lake. So start slowly, ask a lot of questions, tell your neighbors what you are learning and enjoy yourself!