Celebrate National Rivers Month in June with Missouri Stream Teams

St. LOUIS, Mo.—June is National Rivers Month, and Missouri Stream Teams, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), are inviting everyone to celebrate by getting involved.

National Rivers Month is celebrated in June every year to highlight the importance of rivers.  The 30-day event focuses on the Earth’s waterways and ways to save water for future generations.

Stream Teamers can earn a limited-edition 2026 National Rivers Month sticker.  Just complete a National Rivers Month Activity during the month of June and file an activity report using one of the special National Rivers Month activity codes by July 15 to receive your sticker.

Missouri Stream Teams challenges the public to get involved and help our rivers by going for the Stream Team Slam in June.  All who complete the challenge will earn an entry for a prize drawing.

The four components of the Stream Team Slam include:

Visit the Stream Teams online calendar for information on stream cleanups and other related events at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4uC.  Registration for cleanup events is free and is open to all ages. Trash bags, gloves, and Stream Team T-shirts are provided.  Missouri Stream Team efforts range from cleanups to water quality monitoring, planting trees, to stream advocacy and public education.

The Show-Me-State has 110,000 miles of rivers and streams.  Missourians rely on rivers for drinking water and recreational activities such as fishing, swimming, and paddling. Rivers and streams in Missouri serve as habitat for a diverse community of plants, animals, and aquatic life.

According to the National Environmental Education Foundation, one out of every three people gets their drinking water from a river or stream in the United States.   People spend about $97 billion each year on river-related recreation and tourism nationally, which is a vital boost to our economy.  And of course, rivers are essential for fish and wildlife and powering healthy ecosystems.