Page 12 • The Akron Hometowner
March 7, 2007
Phase II: Westfield Creek Water Study Project
Big Sioux River (BSR)
Westfield Creek (WC)
Beaver Creek (BC)
Indian Creek (IC)
“The 1987 Clean Water Act,” said De Jong, “and the EPA continuing to get sued to try to implement that act.” “I donʼt think you can get the rivers cleaned,” said Lucken. “You wonʼt make them pristine,” said De Jong. “But you can make them better,” said student Savanna Bice. Officials present informed the group that water quality improveAkron-Westfield students share the results of their Big Sioux River Water Tributary Project at a public forum on Feb. 26 at the Westfield Community ment projects were being conCenter. From left: Susan Meerdink, Emily Willer, Erica Kjar, Savanna Bice, Kemin Wuyep, Rebecca Meerdink and Allison DeRocher. ducted on the Big Sioux River in Iowa, South Dakota and Minnedroughts, which occurred during Meerdink. • Westfield Creek, 40 percent By Julie Ann Madden “Itʼs as good as weʼve got so sota. April, May, June and July during • Big Sioux River, 40 percent The Big Sioux River and its tribuDe Jong would like to see a Therefore, this studyʼs results this study, their results showed far,” said Wilmot. “According to taries: Beaver Creek, Indian Creek and Westfield Creek are impaired show each of the three tributar- that “generally, the concentrations (IDNRʼs) John Olson, nobodyʼs project started by local leaders waterways, according to results ies and the Big Sioux River are fell during the drought period.” done anything more or equal to similar to what heʼs seen in northeast Iowa. Under local leaderof the year-long Big Sioux River impaired, said Wilmot, explaining Therefore, the high numbers could what weʼve done.” “What we just did was create a ship there, some watershed areas Water Tributary Project conducted that the students collected water be contributed to precipitation baseline, a picture in time of an are being improved voluntarily. samples once every other week runoff. by Akron-Westfield students. When Rick Oetken of Akron entire year on which to base any These groups have received some Thatʼs what students and their during this study. Just two weeks advisors who conducted the study ago, they learned the IDNR now suggested the studyʼs results future occurrences,” said Wilmot. grant funding and created incen“Our intention was to do a year- tives for people participating in told about 70 people gathered at collects and processes samples were skewed because the students the Westfield Community Center five times a month in state studies. hadnʼt gathered five samples per long study and see how the num- the watershed area projects. In just five years, these groups The students reported their goal month, it was pointed out that bers changed,” said teacher Kim on Feb. 26. Although the students conducted was to be able to process 95 per- water samples were gathered from Meerdink. “Get a basic idea of are seeing differences in turbidity a variety of tests on the water sam- cent of their water samples. They all four sites the same day and each of the Big Sioux River and the and aquatic insect populations, ples, the student scientists focused had been able to test 94.87 percent within an hour or so of each other. streams. Weʼve certainly acknowl- said De Jong. “It is possible we only on the results of their fecal of fecal coliform bacteria tests and The students gathered samples edged from the beginning, this was can improve them.” “Iʼve seen it get out of hand with coliform, E.coli and turbidity tests 98.75 percent of their E.coli Colis- every other Wednesday during just going to be a beginning. This their last school period of the day. was just to get some information EPA on issues that are driven not at this public forum. The reason can tests. by common sense,” said Lucken. Turbidity is an indicator of sus- The students used EPA and IDNR- so the next step was logical.” was that the goal of their study was “Thatʼs why I want local water“Iʼm so proud of our school, of to determine whether these Plym- pended solids in water bodies and approved sampling and testing outh County water bodies were most often occurs from precipi- methods. Students voluntarily the leadership, and the quality and sheds to do this,” said De Jong. tation runoff into a water body, returned to the science classroom the dedication of students,” said “There are some people at the impaired. In 2004, the Iowa Department of said Wilmot. “If we see lots of and conducted tests that evening Mary Lucken of Akron. “I hope all national level that like locally-led Natural Resources (IDNR) placed suspended solids in our water and over the next two days. All of you go on to continue your sci- watershed action. Local people the Big Sioux River on its impaired samples, most of the time youʼre of their testing procedures were entific studies and continue your calling the shots. Itʼs still a politiwaters list because of high bac- going to see an increase in bacte- documented in the Water Quality interest in the environment. I hope cal issue. No doubt about it.” “But Iʼd much rather have teria counts. Officials from the ria concentrations. As the water Assurance Plan that was approved the school will let us know what we can do to support future stu- you guys take some action now Plymouth County Water and Soil clears up, most of the time youʼll by the IDNR. “Even though they talked to dentsʼ involvement in this because because they are going to get Conservation District and Natural see bacteria counts in the water go one scientist who preferred five this is something we can be proud harder on the ones that wonʼt do Resources Conservation Services down.” anything,” said De Jong. “Then Their results showed that samples, the IDNR officials of. This is just outstanding.” (NRCS) wanted to know if there The crowd applauded the stu- they force them to do it, and we was any impairment in the coun- Westfield Creek and Big Sioux gave approval for two,” said ISU tyʼs portion of the Big Sioux River Riverʼs E.coli and turbidity tests Extension Crop Specialist Joel De dents who included Savanna know what kind of response, what Jong. “Granted, their only two per Bice, Allison DeRocher, Erica kind of backlash that creates.” and its tributaries. They asked the had a strong correlation, he said. We are not involved in enforce“Westfield Creek was always month skews it but some of the Kjar, Rebecca Meerdink, Susan Akron-Westfield students to conduct a study, and Plymouth County interesting to go sample at,” actual (federal) 519 numbers come Meerdink, Emily Willer, and ment – that is the IDNR and EPA, Farm Bureau provided funding for said student Rebecca Meerdink, from even less testing than that. It Kemin Wuyep and their teachers: said Jim Lahn of the NRCS. De “because most of the time it was wasnʼt that they had faulty strategy Kim Meerdink, Dwain Wilmot Jong said their role would be to equipment and testing. provide information as requested The students used Environmen- not very pretty to look at and didnʼt according to the IDNR.” and retired teacher Ron Wilmot. “I think it would have been diftal Protection Agency-approved have a pleasant smell.” Landowners, farmers and resi- by a locally-led group. De Jong asked for people to At times, students had to wear ferent if we didnʼt have all students dents living in the Westfield Creek equipment and testing methods and submitted a Water Qual- masks when counting bacterial doing it,” said student Allison Watershed Area had been invited volunteer to form a committee to ity Assurance Plan to the IDNR colonies on the E.coli fecal cul- DeRocher. to this public forum to see if they lead a Westfield Creek Watershed “If it was someoneʼs full-time wanted to start a local group to fur- Area Project. Those who volunto make sure their study would tures from Westfield Creek, she teered will meet later this month. job,” said a person in the audi- ther study the Westfield Creek. comply with EPA and IDNR stan- added. “Students are willing to do “Westfield Creek had a high ence. dards and so their results could be “Letʼs presume lots of streams “Itʼs a tough balance how do you are impaired,” said John Lucken more,” said Savanna Bice. “We published. Their plan was the first number of bacteria all the time when compared to Beaver and handle the cost of testing versus of rural Akron. “Is the EPA going are here at your disposal. Weʼll one approved by the IDNR. “Bacteria comes from fecal Indian Creeks,” said Susan what you really should have for a to put them all on the endangered do whatever.” “Weʼve brought it this far,” said sources, whether itʼs geese flying Meerdink. “It was not just after daily test,” said De Jong. list? Restrict livestock operations? Costs have been kept at a mini- Restrict agriculture? Whatʼs going Allison DeRocher. “Weʼd like to by, deer sleeping on terraces or a rainfall. It was a continual high mum having students and teach- to happen? What is the hope of see something happen.” whether itʼs a livestock operation number.” Editorʼs Note: The studentsʼ It was noted that although one ers voluntarily conduct the water cleaning up the Big Sioux River to or septic systems,” said De Jong. Impairment is defined as find- would predict bacteria concen- study rather than have a certified what it was 200 years ago before final report is available on the ing more than 10 percent of mean trations would be higher during science laboratory do it, said Kim agriculture happened? Whatʼs Akron-Westfield School Web site. www.akron-westfield.k12.ia.us. monthly concentrations greater driving this?” than 630 (bacteria) Colony Forming Units per 100 milliliters in water samples, said AkronWestfield science teacher Dwain Wilmot, who is one of the teachers supervising the study. “If you reach this number 10 percent of the time in your averages, that water body is determined to be impaired,” said Wilmot, explaining that in all written publications the number is 400 CFU/100 ml; however, the group was just notified in the last couple of weeks that the new standard is 630 CFU/100 ml. All four testing sites where the students collected water samples had results greater than 630 CRU/100 ml. The Big Sioux River had such samples 47.6 percent of the time; Beaver Creek, 26.3 percent; Indian Creek, 42.1 percent and Westfield Creek, 38.1 percent. The percentage of mean monthly concentrations greater than 630 CFU/100 ml were: • Beaver Creek, 11.1 percent • Indian Creek, 22.2 percent