The Dry Creek Watershed Project is a research arm of the Caney Fork Watershed Association with the goal of educating residents on water preservation and conservation.
DCWP offers community events geared towards environmental awareness and clean-up, as well as monthly chemical testing of Dry Creek.
Community events, like the one coming up on Oct. 8, bring folks together with the common goal of improving our living area in a  setting bound to have some laughter and learning. 
The chemical testing enables the group to monitor the water quality of  Dry Creek and to be promptly alerted to any imbalances that develop.
This is vital to preserving the condition of this local body of water which has been deemed an “exceptional waterway” by the state of Tennessee.
Maintaining the pristine condition of Dry Creek is a far easier option than rehabilitation.
The group is planning a creek clean-up on  Oct. 8.
They will meet at 1:30 p.m. and expect the clean up to take under two hours.
Permission has been granted by enthusiastic creek-side landowners and clean-up will begin at the local swimming hole known as Paradise. 
The group will follow the creek upstream and finish at Colvert Road.
Volunteers will be taxied back to their vehicles.
The goal is to remove any trash encountered along the way.
Please bring waterproof shoes, appropriate clothing and drinking water. The group will provide trash bags and gloves.
To participate, call Alison at (615) 597-1100 or e-mail the project at drycreekwaterprj@dtccom.net .  The project is hoping for community support and involvement, so please come out and spend some time along this exceptional waterway!
On a monthly basis, the Dry Creek Watershed Project collects water samples from five sites along the creek and tests each sample for four parameters,  Phosphates, nitrates, dissolved oxygen and pH.
A coliform test is performed on a semiannual basis.
Phosphates and nitrates are both byproducts  of the break down of fish waste and agricultural residues.
A lack of the presence of these two compounds indicates a healthy ecosystem with a fully functioning nutrient cycle.
Dissolved oxygen indicates, the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water body in parts per million, which is a crucial factor for sustaining aquatic life in the creek.
Many fish and invertebrate species are sensitive to pH, which is the measure of acidity or alkalinity.
The coliform test indicates either the absence or presence of fecal material in the water.
Dry Creek shows healthy levels of dissolved oxygen, 0 nitrates and phosphates and neutral pH, all of which indicate an ideal environment for our wildlife (including our endangered species the sooty darter) as well as recreation.
Further down the creek, we do find coliform.
This is to be expected due to the run-off from pastures, and cattle's access to the creek.
If you are interested in incentive programs which pay 75 percent of all fees to fence your cattle out of the creek and re-route water into troughs, please contact Pam Hoskins @    pamela.hoskins@tn.usda.gov.
The State of Tennessee considers upper Dry Creek an exceptional waterway because of its biodiversity, indicated by the quantity of invertebrate species.
If you examine the underside of a rock from the water, you are likely to find mayflies, stoneflies and water pennies in their nymph stage.
These are known indicator species; their presence indicates a lack of pollutants, as they are highly sensitive to pollutants in the water.
The Dry Creek Watershed Project has a core group of testing volunteers, but friends, neighbors, and volunteers are always welcome to join.
You can review the test results collected by the crew at the  Caney Fork Watershed website, http://www.cfwa-tn.org.