Published/Last Modified on Friday, April 24, 2009 3:27 PM CDT
Campbell-Tintah River Watch members Courtney Walkup and Jacob Hunstable were welcomed and introduced by Bois de Sioux Watershed District (BdSWD) administrator Jon Roeschlein, and presented a summary and analysis of the data gathered in 2008 to the BdSWD Board of Directors on Thursday, April 16. Their PowerPoint presentation, “Tile Drainage and Water Management: Its effect on water quality,” highlighted significant findings over the course of the year.
The team has eight sites in the Rabbit River drainage that they monitor throughout the year. They noted that two sites located immediately downstream from tile drainage outflows had significantly higher electrical conductivity than other sites in the study area. These locations also showed lower turbidity (cloudiness). Higher conductivity indicates more dissolved solids in the water, which is expected of water drained through soil. Lower turbidity is often associated with higher conductivity. The team explained they will continue monitoring at these sites, paying particular attention to trends in these values.
Charlie Anderson, BdSWD district engineer, provided additional information about tile drainage and its expected effects to the board and students. It became apparent through discussion that further investigation is needed to determine the cause of these values, and to determine whether there is any cause for concern regarding water quality. Board Chairman Jerome Deal expressed appreciation for the students’ work and the board’s active support of the River Watch program at the local and state levels. Director Don Davenport helped clarify some elements of the presentation with questions regarding state water quality standards, and led the board in thanking the students. Afterward, Hunstable noted how great it feels “having adults willing to listen to you and very interested in what you have to say.”
Campbell-Tintah River Watch members Jacob Hunstable and Courtney Walkup at the Bois de Sioux Watershed District office in Wheaton, Minn. photo submitted Advertisement
This presentation was also given at the annual River Watch Forum held at the University of Minnesota, Crookston, campus on March 18, and was very enthusiastically received. Nineteen schools attended the forum this year, and Campbell-Tintah was one of only five schools delivering student presentations. All attending schools set up poster displays highlighting their work over the past year. Students attended informational sessions on youth engagement and advocacy in government, using insect surveys to determine the health of rivers, and a Jeopardy-style quiz game testing their knowledge of watersheds.
