Natl Water Monitoring Day

Mother Nature approves of the Clean Water Act, if the gorgeous weather on the 30th anniversary of the act’s initial passage is any indication. On October 18th, students and dignitaries alike soaked up the sun along the shores of the Big Thompson River as they participated in National Water Monitoring Day, sponsored by the Forum and the US Geological Survey (USGS). Approximately ninety junior high and high school students and other citizens came from Loveland, Boulder, Denver and Fort Collins to Sylvan Dale Ranch in Loveland to learn about everything from electroshocking fish to sampling for E. coli. Top governmental officials spoke to the students about the importance of monitoring water quality and the role that their respective agencies play in Colorado.

Bob Cooper of the Colorado Division of Water Resources kicked off the day’s events with a special volunteer training session on the theory and techniques for measuring water flow. The training session was followed by an impressive line-up of speakers. Susan Jessup, owner and manager of Sylvan Dale Ranch, spoke about the importance of clean water to the Ranch. The Jessups generously donated the use of the ranch facilities for the day. Other speakers represented the diversity of governmental agencies involved in monitoring water quality in Colorado, including Bill Horak of USGS Water Resources Division, Rick Claggett of EPA Region VIII, Dick Parachini of the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, Jack Byers of the Colorado Division of Water Resources, and George Parrish, an EPA environmental scientist.

Loveland mayor Kathy Gilliland encourages students to become involved in

water quality in their communities.

Kathy Gilliland, mayor of Loveland, urged the students to become involved in water quality issues: “Someone has to protect what we have here today…Take back what you learn here today and carry it through your whole life,” she advised the audience. Gilliland also read a proclamation of appreciation from the Loveland city council to the Thompson River Project students. The students had also been presented with a $500 Hach portable pH meter earlier in the week at a city council meeting.

Rob Buirgy of the Forum wrapped up the morning by stressing the importance of turning good data into good information, and good information into good decisions.

Colorado Division of Wildlife fish biologist

Randy VanBuren displays a rainbow trout

from the Big Thompson River.

Over the lunch hour, students flocked to the banks of the Big Thompson to watch Randy Van Buren and his crew from the Colorado Division of Wildlife sample the fish population. The students leapfrogged down the banks to follow Van Buren and his assistants as they waded downstream with their electroshocking equipment. An amazing number of trout, suckers, and dace floated out of water seemingly too shallow to house them.
As the crew gathered species, length, and weight data on the fish before releasing them unharmed, Van Buren told the students everything from how to identify fish to how to take reliable field notes. A few students emitted squeals of disgust - as they craned their necks for a better view - as Van Buren spurted eggs out of a spawning female brown trout.

After lunch, students could choose from a list of activities. Bob Zuellig and Erik Tate-Boldt of USGS sampled macroinvertebrates. Despite the fascinating array of lesser known critters found, crayfish, with their menacing pincers, were the biggest hit.

Zena Cox, a student at Pioneer School in Fort Collins,

braves the chilly waters to help Steve Muro of USGS

take a water sample.

Downstream, a wader-clad Steve Muro, Jr., of USGS Water Resources Division, enticed students to join him in the river to take water samples along a transect across the stream. Many students were game, but the cold water kept them from lingering too long in the water.

On shore, Sandi Spence from the EPA lab in Golden demonstrated a high-tech technique for detecting E. coli in water samples. Water samples were incubated with a substance that induces E. coli to glow under ultraviolet light. Ian Servy, a student from Pioneer School for Expeditionary Learning in Fort Collins, was especially impressed by the glowing blue cultures: “Holy cow, that’s so cool!... That is weird.”

Tim Bartish from the USGS Biological Resources Division demonstrated techniques for sampling lakes. Students learned how to use Secchi disks, a plankton net, an Ekman dredge, and an electronic probe for measuring dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, temperature, and depth.

Posters from Thompson River Watch, the City of Fort Collins water quality monitoring lab, USGS, BTWF, Colorado Division of Water Resources, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, and others were also on display inside.

All in all, the event was such a success that plans are already underway for an even bigger and better celebration of National Water Monitoring Day next year.