Stream Team tries to float Grand, runs tests

Stream Team #697 of the GHS Advanced Biology class has started the school year with several fall activities. Instructor Dennis Steigerwalt has 10 students involved in the high school stream team this year.

On Sept. 15 they went to the new bridge just east of Jameson. The nine students and Mr. Steigerwalt’s wife Sharon carried equipment and slid canoes down the steep banks to the river below. They floated (sorta) down river and pulled over at the riffle area to run water quality tests. The first test involved a journey into the riparian zone (the 100 foot tree line that borders the river).

The students ran an analysis called a penny plot to determine the overall health of the trees in the riparian zone. This zone is very important to the stream’s health. It protects and anchors the stream bank as well as filtering pollution in the water passing through it to the river. It also provides shade for the stream to make lower temperatures and more oxygen in the water.

If you own land next to the river or any creek, try to maintain a tree line like this. There are funds available through many government offices and the stream team could also provide some help planting trees etc.

After avoiding the poison ivy, the team returned to the river’s edge. The next tests were the chemical analysis of the water for oxygen, nitrates, ammonia, phosphates, alkalinity, pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, temperature, etc. The overall rating based on these chemical tests gave a water quality index of 74% (good is 70-89%).

Also included in these chemical tests is a value for fecal coliform bacteria. A sample is collected and taken back to the classroom where it is grown on petri dishes with nutrients, and the number of colonies are counted. We had 460 colonies per 100 ml sample. This a little high, probably due to low water volume. Fecal coliform is an indicator of sewage containing the bacteria and can indicate that other pathogenic bacteria could be present.

The next test is a visual stream survey checklist to evaluate the flood plain use, riparian zone, stream bank and the stream for types and percentages of vegetation and other physical traits.

The students then ran the macro invertebrate tests. With a net the students collect three samples of aquatic insects and other organisms and analyze them into 3 groups. Organisms are classified as either sensitive (need good water quality), somewhat sensitive, and tolerant (can live in nasty waters). The rating was a score of 26 (excellent is above 23).

The last test is to determine the flow rate of the stream in cubic feet per second(cfs). The students measure the depth of the river every foot across the river to determine its x-sectional area (feet squared). They then determine the velocity of the river by timing how long it takes to float 10 ft several times to get an average velocity in ft per second. Then by multiplying the two you get the flow rate or discharge rate in cfs. The team’s results show 12.4 cfs and the Internet source which records the rate at the Wabash crossing was 24 cfs. In short the rate is extremely low due to lack of water volume.

After the last test, the team loaded up in the canoes and headed down the river for Gallatin. They walked more of the 6 or 7 miles than they floated, but they enjoyed seeing deer, being chased by gar (not), examining clams up close, etc. The team reached the Wabash takeout in Gallatin at 5:30 instead of the expected 3:30 p.m, but Jim Wilson was there with the bus waiting patiently. He helped load the canoes and transported the students back to school.

On Sept. 16, Dana Dutro and Jackie Hiley sat in the top canoes in the canoe rack while Mr. Steigerwalt and his wife Sharon rode in the pickup in the Chautauqua parade.

On flea market Sunday, the stream team had a booth set up to demonstrate stream behavior with a stream table from the conservation department. They also displayed pictures and equipment etc to explain the stream team program to visitors.

The students are selling environmental T-shirts to raise money for the 4-day trip to the Current river after school is out in May. They will continue the sales until Oct. 20. If interested, see a Stream Team student or Mr. Steigerwalt.

Also this year Mr. Steigerwalt has started a Seminar and Saturday class called Mapping the Environment, where the students collect data on the environment and enter it via the Internet into a world data base called the GLOBE site. It is designed to collect environmental data worldwide to be able to see trends in temperature, etc., in the world. The students currently collect information on the weather and water tests on the school pond and latter on soil moisture and land biology.

The students are able to collect water samples from the school pond due to the floating dock Mr. Steigerwalt was able to build with money from an environmental grant funded by Wal – Mart stores. Mr McCann and several Boy Scouts helped construct the dock earlier in the summer. Mr Steigerwalt and students will also be putting in 12 4-foot wooden benches to form an amphitheater near the pond. The city is currently looking for some used telephone poles to help cut costs on the benches. Larry Tague of Lake Viking Marine provided free styrofoam to place under the dock.

Stream members are pictured, from left, Jennifer Smith, Trinity Duessler, Stephanie Swanstone, Jackie Hiley, Meredith McCann, Chris Baker, Catherine Berry, and seated Kara Sullenger and Jessica Cecil. Dana Dutro is not pictured.