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Nitrogen in the water, lots of tiny little plants (the algae blooms), dying fish, and a cool, dangerous one-celled predator... what does it all mean? It tells us several things. First of all, the Neuse is a sick river. Pollutants (like too much nitrogen) are making bad things happen (like the algae blooms) which cause other bad things to occur. But since the problem is from things being added to the water, it means we can still help the Neuse get better.
How can you help? The more you know about the problems, the more you will be
able to do! Read all about it... visit the Neuse River Education Team's homepage
and other links like that. Then tell your parents and your friends what you
have learned. Together, you can help make changes that will help the river!
If you are really interested in the Neuse river, there is an organization which
helps to keep an eye on it. The
Neuse River Foundation is an organization which is dedicated to taking care of the
Neuse. They have hired a
"Riverkeeper", who watches
over the river full-time. He patrols river by car, boat, and airplane, looking for
pollution sources or fish kills. He also works with government agencies to help them
with monitoring water quality, fish kills, and pollution. He stays extremely busy,
and has a gropu of 75 volunteer
Creek Keepers, who help watch over the
tributaries of the Neuse.
If you don't live near the Neuse, there are still other programs you can get involved
with closer to you. There are other programs who have a "riverkeeper" or someone similar,
and the idea has been proposed even in places like
the St. Johns River, where recent outbreaks of pfiesteria have refocused concern
on the pollution of the river. The National
Wildlife Federation is a good place to look for ideas and information.
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