Join us between 10am and 1pm on Saturday November 7th 2026 to learn how to service the Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER® Wader Wash Stations located at 10 spots on the Big Gunpowder Falls. We’ll meet at Sparks Bank Nature Center and take a brief walk to the parking lot on the river to look at the closest of the stations. Then we’ll give an overview servicing: what to do, how to do it, and how to report that you’ve done it. Together, we can help prevent the invasive diatom Didymo from becoming established in more of our local waterways.
Register here to reserve your spot and to learn how to volunteer your time (an hour or less a month) to help prevent the spread of the invasive species Didymo.
Help fight the spread of the invasive diatom Didymosphenia geminata (Didymo: or Rock Snot).
Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER® manages 10 stations on Big Gunpowder Falls to help keep Didymo from spreading to other water bodies. Fisherfolk and other users wading in the river are encouraged to wash and scrub their boots and waders after they exit the river to kill any hitchhiking diatoms so they cannot become established in the next stream those waders are used in.
Volunteers will be trained on emptying, cleaning, refilling the wader wash basins, and documenting their servicing to better protect the watershed from this invasive species. Volunteers will provide critical capacity to Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER®: we literally cannot do it without your support.
Grab a ticket to come learn how you can support the local waters by donating an hour or less of your time at whichever or however many of the wader wash stations are convenient for you, however often you can do it (~monthly if you’re the only one doing your station).
Wader Wash Stations are located on Big Gunpowder Falls at the following access points:
- Sparks Bank Nature Center @ 1200 Sparks Road
- TCB Trail Mile Lot 2 @ Phoenix Road and the TCB Trail
- 15512 Home Road
- Monkton Station
- Big Falls Road @ Gunpowder Big Falls Road Parking
- 17910 York Rd, Parkton, MD 21120
- Bunker Hill Road: North of the River @ “Down the Hill Water Bench”
- Masemore Road @ Masemore Water Trail
- And at both trailhead parking lots on Falls Road @ 1001 Falls Road and 1219 Falls Road
Remember: each hour you donate gives us the equivalent of $35. Make an impact without digging into your wallet: plus you get to spend some time at some really nice spots along the Big Gunpowder Falls.
Note: this activity does involve lifting, drawing, carrying, and otherwise transporting water. When we service stations, we use 5 gallon buckets that weigh 40 pounds full. Keep this in mind, it’s good exercise, but we don’t want anybody signing up for more than they can handle (of course, you could use other methods to transport too).