FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sept. 22, 2021

COLUMBIA, S.C. ― Two South Carolina Adopt-a-Stream student volunteers were recently recognized for their volunteer efforts to help assess the health of watersheds and water quality in the Midlands. Eli Crisan, a senior at Dreher High School in Columbia, and Ian Saracila, a junior at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, have monitored multiple streams in Richland County and were recognized for their efforts at the Richland County Soil and Water Conservation District (RSWCD) September meeting.

The South Carolina Adopt-a-Stream program is directed in partnership between the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and Clemson University Center for Watershed Excellence (CU CWE), and the program is supported by local organizations around the state like RSWCD as well as volunteer groups and individuals. Trained volunteers help monitor waterways and their data helps evaluate the health of our state’s waterways. Adopt-a-Stream data is available at www.scadoptastream.org. 

From left to right: RSWCD Commissioner Kenny Mullis, RSWCD Community Outreach Coordinator Mary Hannah Lindsay, DHEC Adopt-a-Stream Coordinator Sierra Hylton, Outstanding Youth Award winners Eli Crisan and Ian Saracila, Richland County Councilwoman Jesica Mackey and Richland County Administrator Leonardo Brown recognized Eli and Ian for their work with South Carolina’s Adopt-a-Stream program.

“This collaboration between SC Adopt-a-Stream, RSWCD, and student volunteers is just a glimpse of the positive impact volunteer water quality monitoring can have on a community,” said Sierra Hylton, DHEC Adopt-a-Stream Program Coordinator. “The data not only educates citizens and decision makers but can be used to inspire youth towards protecting and restoring waterways for many generations to come.”

Free workshops are offered throughout the year that train individuals who are interested in joining the Adopt-a-Stream Program. Volunteers can learn how to perform assessments of local waterways, such as monitoring water quality in shallow streams or conducting macroinvertebrate surveys.

“SC Adopt-A-Stream is an important program that promotes watershed stewardship and helps protect and improve water quality in our community,” said Kenny Mullins, RSWCD Chairman. 

South Carolina’s Adopt-A-Stream program has more than 200vvolunteers who help monitor more than 175 sites throughout the state. To learn more about the Adopt-a-Stream program, click here or contact Sierra Hylton, DHEC Adopt-a-Stream Coordinator, at hyltonsf@dhec.sc.gov. 

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