Rain Garden Workshops
Come and join us for an informative workshop where you can learn all about the benefits that rain gardens present for you, your community, and the environment.
This workshop will cover:
- The importance of raingardens, and their impact on our local watersheds
- The basic steps you’ll need to plan and design your very own rain garden
- How to properly plant and maintain your beautiful new landscaping
Our first workshops of the year will take place on the upcoming dates:
- February 21st – Tacoma, 6:00pm – 7:30pm
- February 23rd – Tacoma, 10:30am – 12:00pm
Our staff is committed to helping you create the perfect rain garden!
To sign up or ask any questions, please feel free to contact:
Micah at micahr@piercecd.org
Macroinvertebrate Monitoring
Another successful summer of macro sampling has been completed! Volunteers Kelly Stave,

Trish Willebrand, and Cheryl Fultz-Messinger assisted the Water Quality staff with sampling macroinvertebrates in four streams: Schoolhouse, Artondale, Ray Nash, and Minter Creeks. Pierce County uses the results to determine biological health of the stream.
Pictured here are Kelly Stave, Melissa Buckingham, and Hannah Ljunggren sampling at Schoolhouse Creek.
Winter Stream Monitoring Schedule
- Quarterly monitors may schedule their winter monitoring between December 21 and
March 14.
- Bimonthly monitors are scheduled to monitor their streams in January and March.
- Volunteers are also encouraged to run replicate tests once or twice a year. The replicate testing includes the dissolved oxygen, pH, and nitrate tests. Don’t forget to mention when you email to reserve a kit, that you will need extra sample bottles.
- We are entering the time of year when there are higher and swifter stream flows, so be careful when entering streams to collect samples.