The Federal Clean Water Act mandates that rivers and streams be monitored for water quality, but there is no guarantee that enough funding will be supplied to do the job. Local rivers and streams may only be checked once every several years (if at all) by State or Federal agencies. A serious pollution problem could go undetected unless local people are alert to the river’s day-to-day condition. Citizens’ groups like HooRWA meet an important need by conducting volunteer based monitoring programs.