Who We Are

The Addison County River Watch Collaborative is a community water monitoring group that has been operating since 1997. Each year we bring together a group of volunteers who are passionate about protecting water quality in our communities. We take water quality samples from 6 watersheds in Addison County each year and then share the data we collect with the public. ACRWC also organizes riverbank restoration projects, especially in areas that lack woody vegetation. We also engage in education and outreach about our waterways, including farm visits, macroinvertebrate sampling with students, water quality chats, and more!

Our Mission

  1. Monitor and assess the condition and uses of our local rivers, creeks, and streams over time.

  2. Raise public awareness of and commitment to the ecological, economic, and social values and functions of our local waterways.

  3. Support actions taken by landowners that aim to improve water quality.

Monitoring our Waterways

Volunteer Opportunities

Our water quality monitoring work is supported by teams of volunteers who sample waterway sites two mornings per month from April to September.

Your Watershed

What’s going on in your watershed? Learn more about your watershed and the watersheds of Addison County here:

Water Quality Reporting

We monitor water quality in six watersheds in Addison County. Our data is compiled into water quality reports to that people have open access to information on the health of the rivers in their area.

Riparian Restoration

ACRWC organizes planting projects in riparian areas of streams and rivers to stabilize banks and provide habitat for both terrestrial and aquatic species. This work is made possible by volunteers who plant with us! Learn more about our restoration projects below:

  • Kenzie Hines

    OUTREACH COORDINATOR

    Kenzie is a farm worker, gardener, and artist here in Addison County, and a UVM alum with a degree in biology.

  • Matthew Witten

    DIRECTOR

    Matthew Witten has been the director of the Addison County River Watch Collaborative since 2012. Matt grew up along the Battenkill River and has always been drawn to aquatic environments in their natural state. Matt has a master’s degree in Natural Resources from UVM and served as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sea Grant Fellow at the US EPA Wetlands Division office in Washington, D.C., and subsequently helped teach wetland monitoring techniques for EPA in the New England region. Matt also has worked at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum teaching students about lake ecology.

Our Board

Louis Dupont (Chair)
Deb Healey (Treasurer)
Chris Robbins (Secretary)
Stever Bartlet
Dave Sharpe
Jason Bradley
Laura Fair