Brandon Twp.-On Friday morning Brandon Middle School Science teacher Dave Green moved his classroom outdoors to the mirky waters of Duck Creek near the M-15 bridge.
Donning waders and nets about 20 Brandon Middle School students slopped through muddy waters seeking the biological, chemical and physical characteristics of the local waterway.
‘The health of the stream is investigated by our students,? said Green. ‘For a lot of these kids it’s the first time for such a project.?
The Brandon students joined more than 1,400 area students from across Macomb and Oakland counties studying the quality of water in the Clinton River and its tributaries as part of the Stream Leaders Program.
‘From what we found several high quality organisms were extracted from the river,? said Green. ‘Some sediment runs off from M-15 into the river. There’s lots more in there then we know.?
Now in its 14th year the water-quality monitoring program for students is coordinated by the Clinton River Watershed Council.
Stream Leaders will evaluate the amount of erosion and sedimentation at each site, perform tests to measure levels of nitrates, phosphates, dissolved oxygen, and temperature, as well as identifying the type of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities that live in the Clinton River. This year, 15 different sites in 12 communities will be monitored.
Students will partner up with mentors from area business and organizations such as General Motors, Daimler Chrysler, Oxford Band, Oakland County Farm Bureau, and Rochester Rotary Charities. This is part of an on-going partnership between our schools and local businesses to get kids excited about science and their community.
Together with the assistance of the mentors and the guidance of their teachers, the students will develop a Community Action Project based on spring and fall monitoring results. The students will share their stream survey results and their action project at the annual Stream Leaders? Student Congress in November of 2006 at the Macomb Intermediate School District.
The Clinton River watershed covers 760 square miles through four counties (Macomb, Oakland, Lapeer, and St. Clair). More than 1.4 million people live in the 60 communities through which the Clinton River flows before reaching Lake St. Clair, according to the Clinton Watershed Council.