CWA partners with a number of other organizations to offer members opportunities to contribute to the preservation of a healthy natural environment, particularly as it related to streams and waterways in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and to the Bay itself. CWA also assists educational organizations dedicated to teaching young people about aquatic resources and the value of becoming good stewards of our natural environment.
Some examples of CWA environmental partnerships
The USGS Leetown Science Center annual free Open House and Earth Day Event for families and friends.
CWA staffed exhibits for a fly fishing demonstration, fly casting practice, fly tying demonstration, and entomology lessons at this event. The USGS Leetown Science Center is a research facility designed to restore, maintain, enhance, and protect aquatic and terrestrial organisms and their supporting environments.
DC Dept of Energy & Environment Family (DOEE) and Youth Casting Call
CWA members helped out as fishing instructors at the Family and Youth Casting Call, an annual free event sponsored each spring by DOEE’s Fisheries & Wildlife Division.The event takes place along the banks of the Anacostia River in Anacostia Park and is hosted by the Aquatic Resources Education Center (AREC). The event draws several hundred young people and their parents to this lovely park each year. DOEE and the AREC provide fishing instruction, environmental education activities, and community resources to youth aged 15 and under and their families.
MD Department of Natural Resources Stream Wader Program
CWA members helped the MD Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sein rivers and streams to collect invertebrates for identification. The DNR uses this data to determine water quality and water health of freshwater resources in our area. Maryland Stream Waders is a state-wide program and one of the most popular programs offered by DNR. It is a vital part of their efforts to educate the public on the importance of preserving clean water throughout the Chesapeake Bay drainage area.
MD Department of Natural Resources Stream Trout Stocking Program
CWA members help MD DNR personnel stock trout streams close to the Washington DC metropolitan area. The DNR uses fish raised in fish hatcheries and releases them in in rivers to supplement existing populations or to create a population where none exists.
CWA members participated in the Potomac-Patuxent Chapter of Trout Unlimited’s Trout in the Classroom (TIC) Program
The TIC program teaches school children about the life cycle of trout. This popular program allows children to observe the growth of trout in a aquarium environment from the delivery of trout eggs through the release of young trout fingerlings in Maryland waters. The program also includes demonstrating the use of fly fishing gear for the students. Trout Unlimited’s TIC program operates in 74 schools and outdoor education centers in 10 counties and the District of Columbia.
Montgomery County Fish Shocking Program Support
CWA members helped assess the level of success of the precious year’s stocking program by fishing the river, and participating in a fish count by conducting an electroshocking study initiated by the Montgomery County Department of Parks.
Montgomery County Department of Parks and the MD Department of Natural Resources, Hawlings River Project, Rachel Carson Conservation Park, Maryland
CWA members worked with the MD DNR to install a culvert over a feeder stream for horseback riders and hikers to reduce contamination of the river.
CWA Environmental and Educational programs vary from year-to-year depending on the interests and abilities of our members. We encourage or members to reach out to their communities to identify projects that would benefit the environment, educate young people on the value of protecting our aquatic resources, and share with them the joy of pursuing the sport of fly fishing.
Among the conservation-minded organizations with whom we have cooperated are:
- Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
- American Rivers
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation
- Coastal Conservation Association Maryland
- Gunpowder Riverkeeper, Inc.
- MD Department of Natural Resources
- Neighbors of the Northwest Branch
- Potomac Riverkeeper, Inc.
- Sierra Club of MD
- South River Federation
- Trout Unlimited chapters in DC, MD, Northern VA
- VA Department of Conservation and Recreation
CWA members interested in a specific activity with a particular organization will find contact information by visiting Conservation-Minded Organizations under Resources/Related Links and always checking our CWA Calendar.