CURB Participates in WAVE Sampling

Staff and volunteers from CURB were recently in the field collecting benthic macroinvertebrates as part of the NYSDEC’s Water Assessments by Volunteer Evaluators (WAVE) program. Sampling took place at the Saw Mill River in Ardsley using kick nets to stir up the substrate to collect the macroinvertebrates. To our delight, the river was teeming with life as we found many different types of insect larvae, as well as crayfish and darters. Macroinvertebrates are an important indicator of water quality, and their presence in high numbers is a great sign for the health of the Saw Mill River.

Our catch was identified by using macroinvertebrate guides, and the data sets were sent to the DEC for further analysis. More information about the project and ways to get involved may be found on the DEC’s website at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/92229.html.

This program was made possible by generous funding from the Westchester Community Foundation.