Goldsboro, N.C. — Environmental nonprofit Sound Rivers will host a Water Watch training in Goldsboro later this month, offering local residents the opportunity to learn how to help protect the Neuse River and its tributaries from pollution.
The training will be led by Sound Rivers’ Riverkeeping team, including Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop, Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman and Water Quality Specialist Taylor Register. Through the Water Watch program, volunteers are trained to collect scientific observations related to water quality, flooding, erosion, habitat conditions and other indicators of river health. The information gathered helps Riverkeepers identify pollution concerns, monitor waterways and expand protection efforts across the watershed.
The Goldsboro training is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at EZ Bait and Tackle.
Since April 2025, Water Watch trainings have been held in communities including Oriental, Blounts Creek, Washington, New Bern, Greenville and Kinston. Those efforts have resulted in nearly 90 volunteers monitoring more than 100 sites throughout the region.
“We’ve had great response to this program, and we invite anyone in the Neuse watershed who’s interested in the health of the river and its tributaries to attend,” Krop said.
Sound Rivers’ Riverkeepers monitor more than 12,000 square miles of watershed, encompassing the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico rivers, more than 928,000 acres of estuary, nearly 6,000 miles of streams and more than 21,000 acres of freshwater lakes.
“Unfortunately, we can’t be everywhere at once, so that’s why we have Water Watch in play, with a team of community scientists helping us keep an eye on those waterways,” Krop said. “Another part of our goal is building relationships between community members and their local waterways and strengthening our role as a watchdog organization, where communities alert us to issues as they happen.”
Water Watch volunteers commit to attending one training and visiting a chosen site within the Neuse or Tar-Pamlico watersheds at least once a month to collect observations. That data is submitted through an online dashboard, where Riverkeepers review reports, investigate concerns when necessary and provide the public with real-time information about issues affecting local waterways.
“This is community-led science in the name of water quality,” Krop said. “We’ll be sharing with Goldsboro residents the tools and knowledge they need to recognize potential problems and how to report them. Water Watch is a great way to give back to your watershed and community — especially if you’re passionate about water quality.”
EZ Bait and Tackle will host the training and will remain open to attendees afterward, offering a 10% discount on store merchandise.
For more information about the Water Watch program or to sign up for the Goldsboro training, visit soundrivers.org/water-watch.
Founded in 1980–81, Sound Rivers is one of North Carolina’s oldest grassroots conservation organizations. The nonprofit monitors and protects the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico watersheds, which together cover nearly a quarter of the state, through science-based advocacy and environmental justice initiatives.
