by Roy Mayeda • River Watch adviser
Published/Last Modified on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 4:19 PM CDT
Fall has arrived and school has begun. For Campbell-Tintah River Watch, the school year never really ended. The group continued monitoring water quality in the Rabbit River area over the summer and performed their first sampling of the 2009-2010 school year on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
The team now monitors 10 sites in the Campbell, Nashua and Tintah areas each month that the rivers are flowing. Only Barnesville, Climax-Shelly, and Win-E-Mac are responsible for more sites. Two sites that were discontinued during the construction of the North Ottawa Impoundment Project were reactivated this summer. Data gathered by River Watch students and professional technicians will be used by the Bois de Sioux Watershed Management District to assess the effectiveness of the project.
“The students are doing quality work and learning real-world concepts,” said Campbell-Tintah science teacher and River Watch adviser Roy Mayeda. “The more experienced members are training new members in our procedures to ensure that the methods remain consistent. Our team leader, Courtney Walkup, has been the key person overseeing this. They learn to use electronic sensing equipment and their own senses to evaluate the river’s condition.”
Students examine the general appearance of the site, noting wildlife, cultivation practices on adjacent banks, and general suitability for recreation. Turbidity (poor water clarity due to solid particles) is a major issue in the area, and is measured visually and electronically. The team also gathers data on temperature, pH (acidity/alkalinity), and dissolved oxygen. River Watch data from the 31 participating schools, along with data from water management professionals, is submitted to a database that provides the basis for water quality management decisions.
