Community Science
Culvert Teams
There are over 1,300 stream-road crossings in the Otsego Lake, Canadarago Lake and Butternut Valley Watersheds that have never been assessed.
…we’re working to change that
But we need the community’s help
OCCA’s teams of community scientists are hitting the road this summer to collect data on culverts around Otsego County.
We are currently recruiting assistants; no training is required!
Historically, road construction practices often disregarded the needs of aquatic organisms and their migration patterns.
The data our community scientist volunteers collect create a “passability score” which determines if aquatic organisms, such as trout, crayfish, and turtles, can conveniently and safely travel our local network of streams. Certain culverts with compromised structures or accessibility are tagged as a high priority to be repaired or replaced.
The data is publicly accessible on the North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collective database and will be used by OCCA and others to plan improvements in stream connectivity, fish/wildlife habitat, water quality, climate resilience, and potentially even upgrades to infrastructure.
