The Gallatin High Advanced Biology class has been receiving Stream Team instruction and will
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
Find out how to advertise here - Email us! [email protected]
Find out how to advertise here - Email us! [email protected]
For the last few weeks the Advanced Biology class has been receiving instruction on Stream Team water quality monitoring information. On Sept. 9, the group left school for the study site at Grand River near Jameson. The team went into the riparian tree zone near the river and did three penny plots to evaluate at least 20 trees in the riparian zone. They then went back to the study site on the riffle area of the Grand.
The students ran several chemical tests including temperature of the air and water, pH, nitrates, ammonium, phosphates, oxygen, hardness, alkalinity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, etc. They also ran biological tests including fecal coliform tests and netting macro invertebrates to analyze the biological health of the river.
Team members also conducted a visual survey to assess the flood plane use, riparian zone, stream bank, and the river’s physical traits. They collected information on the river velocity and depth at every foot across the river, which allowed them to calculate the flow rate of the river. The flow rate was calculated at 59.5 cubic feet per second. The same data collected from the Internet based on the flow meter at the Wabash crossing was 61 cfs.
After collecting data for two hours, the Stream Team floated the rest of the Grand to the Gallatin takeout at the bridge. The students also picked up cans and other trash at the site and on the way down the stream. The students are using a new form which rates all of the areas tested to give an overall rating. The river’s overall rating was 87%, which falls in the good area of 70-89%.
Any local organization interested in a presentation by the group regarding the river information or stream team in general, may contact Mr. Steigerwalt to arrange a time. The students also helped prepare signs for the Chautauqua parade on Saturday and had a display on Sunday and sold orders for environmental T-shirts to help the environment and raise money for the Stream Team’s after-school float trip to the Current River in the spring.