Little Rock Creek currently has two studies aiming to (1) understand the changes from upstream to downstream and (2) investigate the effects of litter at the Trout Trap ® . The first study came to be based on a project by the City of Raleigh to replace the sewer pipes along the creek in 2021. The second study was conducted based on the amount of trash a student observed during testing. The question was, " Is the trash impacting our results as we move from upstream to downstream, especially with the trash being collected in the middle of our sites?". Collaborating with several partners, such as Partners for Environmental Justice (PEJ), Sound Rivers, Inc., and Walnut Creek Wetland Community Partner, students were able to learn the fundamentals of water quality parameters. 

After discussions with our NC DEQ partners, the goal of this project is to conduct a comparative study between a known healthy waterway and Little Rock Creek, which has long been categorized as impaired. This short-term study began in 2024 and will conclude in 2025. Throughout the project, students monitored key water-quality parameters in the reference creek to establish a baseline of “healthy” conditions. These results were then compared to measurements from Little Rock Creek to evaluate whether water quality improved following the City of Raleigh’s recent sewer pipe replacement efforts.