Jacksonville stormwater manager introduces water-quality team, seeks volunteers for Adopt a Stream program

Pat Donovan Brandenburg, the stormwater manager for the city of Jacksonville, introduced the city’s stormwater water-quality team and invited residents to volunteer for the department’s Adopt a Stream or Adopt a Storm Drain program. "I am the stormwater manager for the city of Jacksonville," Brandenburg said as she named the staff who work on monitoring and cleanups.

Brandenburg said the team monitors and tests waterways and educates the public about maintaining good water quality for recreational and commercial users. "We are your stormwater water quality team that monitors, tests, educates about the importance of our waterways and having good water quality for the people that utilize our waterways recreationally, commercially or just having peace," she said.

She introduced three team members by name: Willamina Bradway, identified as the water quality technician; Aaron Moran, the water quality coordinator; and Jim Wheeler, known as "Wheels," whom Brandenburg said has spent 16 years removing trash from waterways, parks and wetlands. Brandenburg described the trash removals as work that addresses illicit discharges affecting stormwater runoff.

On volunteer opportunities, Brandenburg said interested residents should "please reach out." She described the Adopt a Stream/Adopt a Storm Drain program as a quarterly volunteer effort in which participants collect and catalog the types and amounts of trash — noting items such as Styrofoam and plastic. The city provides bags, grabbers and gloves for volunteers, and Brandenburg said team members including Bradway and Wheeler add cleanup data to the department’s marine trash program website.

Brandenburg did not provide a specific contact method or schedule in the remarks; she asked those interested to contact the stormwater team for details on how to participate. The presentation focused on outreach, data collection and volunteer support rather than on any pending policy or regulatory action.