Charlotte Brown 1 and Jerod Myers 2 NSF-REU Fellows, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia

1. Community Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Towards Water Resources Within the Upper Stroubles Creek Watershed Charlotte Brown1and JerodMyers2 NSF-REU Fellows, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 1UNC-Chapel Hill 2VirginiaTech Dynamics of Water and Societal SystemsAn Interdisciplinary Research Program at the Virginia Tech StREAM Lab Background The study was part of an overarching undergraduate research program that seeks to integrate social and biological science to further understand the complexity of human interactions within an urbanized watershed ecosystem. Investigators sought to perform a community analysis of human knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that impact water quality within the Stroubles Creek watershed, located in Blacksburg, Virginia through the administration of a community survey. Methodology Survey creation involved the use of previous studies to compile 35 questions relating to water resources. Nine questions, designed to obtain respondent demographics, were used for comparative purposes. Surveys were administered door-to-door at randomly selected respondents’ homes. . • Objectives • Measure awareness of local water resources • Measure knowledge and opinions of water quality and local sources of water pollution • Gain insight into practices of pet waste disposal and use of fertilizers • Measure level of personal responsibility to protect water resources • Assess various factors that may prevent citizens from changing lawn care practices that may improve water quality Results. • Conclusion: • General lack in awareness of water resources • Majority of respondents willing to change current practices to improve water quality • Respondents who felt a personal responsibility to protect water quality were more likely to change their current lawn care practices to improve water quality. Surveying Sites A map of the Upper Stroubles Creek watershed was used to define the outermost boundaries for administering surveys. In order to attain a demographically representative sample of the Blacksburg community, population sizes of different census blocks were found using 2010 census data. The number of households required to be sampled from each area was then determined using the ratio of population of the specific census block to the overall population within the determined surveying boundaries . Future Research • Use survey results to plan best methods for addressing gaps in community knowledge pertaining to water quality improvement through educational outreach efforts. Acknowledgements: James Hawden Ph. D, Sociology, Virginia Tech Eric Kaufman, Agricultural & Extension Education, Virginia Tech Mike Sorice, Forest resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech