City of Surrey and Water Rangers!
Healthy streams = Healthy fish
Welcome to the City of Surrey’s Water Monitoring Action Project! This page is your hub for all things related to the initiative. Water Rangers is proud to partner with the City of Surrey to provide residents with the tools and knowledge to engage in community science, monitor local salmon-bearing streams, and help protect Surrey’s waterways.
Sign up for the Heat Stress Water Quality Campaign!
The first chance to get involved in this action project will be for the City of Surrey’s Heat Stress Water Quality Campaign, starting on June 1, 2025! Learn more about the watersheds being investigated and how to get involved!
Surrey’s Heat Stress Water Quality Campaign
About the project
Where to see salmon in Surrey
If you visit during the right time of the year, you will see spawning salmon returning to their home streams in their long journey from the Pacific Ocean! The City of Surrey has several maps to help find where to spot them. Check it out!
More maps of salmon bearing areasSurrey is home to over 1,400 km of creeks and rivers, including the Little Campbell, Nicomekl, and Serpentine Rivers, with the Fraser River forming the northern border. Many of these water bodies support salmon and trout, but urban development may put their habitats at risk. Researchers and Surrey’s Salmon Habitat Restoration Program (SHaRP) members study these habitats, but they need regular water quality data to understand if creeks stay cool and oxygenated in summer and safe for fish eggs in winter.
We need your help! Local volunteers can test water quality and share their observations. Your data will help fill critical gaps, giving researchers a clearer picture of how to protect fish habitats for future generations.
The problem
Urban development and human impact can increase pollution and may threaten the health of creeks and streams in Surrey. Key challenges include:
- Water temperature & flow changes – Summer heat and low water levels stress fish, while winter stormwater runoff can warm creeks unnaturally, affecting salmon eggs.
- Road salt impacts – Used in fall and winter, road salt alters water chemistry and can harm aquatic life.
- Sedimentation & pollutants – Runoff carries heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and debris from roads and construction.
By testing and reporting on local creeks, you can play a vital role in protecting Surrey’s fish populations.
Get started!
Take action to care for your local creek! Work alongside researchers to monitor Surrey’s streams by collecting water quality data to help identify key fish habitats and protect them from pollution and climate change.
Using Water Rangers’ water quality test kits, residents in Surrey can collect water quality data and upload it to Water Rangers’ open-source data platform.
Surrey residents
Help monitor your local creek! Residents can find a creek or stream that the City of Surrey has identified as needing monitoring, and use Water Rangers’ test kits to track changes in water quality throughout the year.
Join the Heat Stress Water Quality Campaign!
The City of Surrey’s Heat Stress Water Quality Campaign starts on June 1, 2025. Learn more about the watersheds being investigated and how to get involved!
Surrey’s Heat Stress Water Quality CampaignWe’ll be running two seasonal monitoring campaigns:
- Summer Heat Campaign – Measure how rising temperatures impact local creeks and aquatic life.
- Winter Road Salt Campaign – Test for chloride levels to assess the effects of road salt on water quality.
Want to take your stewardship further? We will be hosting Streamkeeper workshops this fall to gain hands-on training in habitat restoration and water monitoring. Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated!
Educators
Bring real-world science into your classroom! The City of Surrey has been working with high schools in the city to integrate water testing into their curriculum, allowing students to contribute valuable data to the City of Surrey’s monitoring efforts.
Students will use Water Rangers’ Education Kit to monitor key fish habitats, track seasonal water quality changes, and help the City of Surrey to understand how pollution and climate change are impacting local streams.
Interested in teaching water quality?
We have tons of resources for educators to become classroom experts in water quality! Check out our educational resources for curriculum connections, lesson plans, and extension opportunities.
Educational resourcesWant to get involved? The City of Surrey will be expanding the program for the 2025/26 school year. Educators in Surrey can reach out to become part of this exciting community science initiative!
Learning resources
Explore curated resources to help you understand and analyze water quality data:
Water testing parameters – Learn about the parameters you will be testing for: air temperature, water temperature, conductivity, chlorine, pH, alkalinity, hardness, turbidity, and chloride.
Questions?
If you have any questions or would like to learn more how you can get involved, please contact us!
Send an emailAbout us
Water Rangers is collaborating with the City of Surrey to strengthen water monitoring efforts and fill important data gaps, so we can support healthy freshwater ecosystems for all living things! We are a Canadian non-profit dedicated to empowering communities to steward local waters by providing accessible, easy-to-use water quality monitoring test kits and hosting an open-source data platform.
