Adoption | Stenciling | Helpful hints | Manual, forms | Online registration | Adopt-A-Stream Presentation (PDF) | Contact
It's up to each of us to keep Virginia's rivers, streams, lakes and bays clean. That's the idea behind DCR's Adopt-A-Stream Program (AAS). The waterway cleanups supported by this 
anti-litter campaign provide a chance for local businesses, civic groups, watershed associations, churches, schools, environmental concerns and scouts to work together or separately to do their part.
The statewide program aims to reduce litter while advancing citizen stewardship and understanding of the commonwealth's precious waterways. Adopt-A-Stream promotes education, public outreach, citizen involvement, partnership and community capacity-building through Virginia's diverse constituencies.
You need to get your hands a little dirty to truly learn about nature. Waterway cleanups provide that prospect. A few hours collecting litter from a local shoreline establishes a link between citizens, community waterways and their watersheds. You see firsthand how your cleanup work improves a waterway's quality and appearance. You feel good about your work, become a caretaker of a local waterway and assume a watershed-based stewardship ethic.
By signing up for DCR's voluntary, do-it-yourself Adopt-A-Stream program, your group agrees to at least one, preferably two, cleanups per year for at least two years. The minimum length of shoreline a group can adopt is one-quarter mile. A team of two typically covers a mile of lightly littered shoreline in an hour or two. Many groups opt for two cleanups a year, one in the spring and another in the fall. DCR helps by providing trash bags, gloves, safety vests, and instructional and promotional documents. DCR also gives each group custom signage featuring the adopted waterway and organization.
Another way AAS volunteers serve their community is by making fellow citizens aware of stormwater runoff pollution by stenciling storm drains. Many people mistakenly believe stormwater runoff is treated before emptying into nearby waterways. These painted messages remind residents of the link between streets and a waterway's health. It's a community effort with lasting effects.
DCR provides Mylar® stencils, which read "Dump no waste, drains to (river/stream/lake/bay)," for free. They are available in English and Spanish.
Helpful hints, getting started
To view or print the following, you'll need the free Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) reader.
By reporting cleanup or stenciling efforts to DCR, we'll be able to better meet your needs.
For more information, contact the Adopt-A-Stream coordinator at (804) 786-5056, email adoptastream@dcr.virginia.gov, or write:
Virginia Adopt-A-Stream Program
Department of Conservation and Recreation
203 Governor Street, Suite 213
Richmond, VA 23219
You can download a promotional flier on the program by clicking here (PDF, 42k).
Click here to view a presentation that describes the Adopt-A-Stream Program (PDF, 914K)
Click here to view a list of those participating in the program.
Click here to see a few photos of AAS volunteers keeping Virginia's streams clean.
You might also be interested in water quality monitoring. Follow this link to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's monitoring information or click here to visit a site about the Izaak Walton League's Save Our Streams program. Learn about Virginia's Waterways Cleanup Day by clicking here.
