About the Watershed Action Volunteer (WAV) Program

Many who love Florida’s natural splendor — its abundant lakes and life-filled waterways — feel a sense of kinship to it. Floridians are often caught saying things like “my lake” and “our river” when talking about their state’s water resources.

This is why the St. Johns River Water Management District established the WAV Program and has given hundreds of individuals the opportunity to personally help their communities and protect these vital resources.

WAV is active in 14 counties within the District’s 18-county service area.

It matches committed individuals with WAV coordinators to train and equip volunteers for a variety of important tasks so that each volunteer can help make a difference in their community.

Making this difference is fun. Volunteers are trained by a specialist to use field test kits for monitoring water quality. They also survey streams for sources of pollutants, participate in revegetation projects and shoreline cleanups, and help out in the field, in laboratories and in offices.

WAVs are also trained to prepare and give educational presentations to school groups, civic associations, clubs and other organizations. They can take part in any or all of these activities by themselves or with a group.

WAVs are considered unpaid workers of the District, so are covered by workers’ compensation. For this reason, they must be 13 years old or older, though younger people often take part in certain activities.

Volunteers can make a difference close to home, in their neighborhood watershed. A watershed is any area that drains into a body of water, as rainfall does when it runs off roofs, down streets, and eventually into lakes or rivers.

Not all watersheds are healthy. In fact, the District has identified a variety of problems facing several of the region’s important water bodies. These problems include potential health hazards and the destruction of wildlife habitat and other natural areas. Other problems include algal blooms, declining fish populations and deteriorating water quality.

Research has shown that these trends are reversible, but only if the commitment to change is made.

This is why our region needs responsible individuals willing to commit — even on a small scale — to positive action. This commitment can be for as little as a few hours each month, but the changes everyone makes together can be long lasting.