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The Bay Backpack logo. A school backpack followed by a stylized writing of the words Bay Backpack.

Calling All Students: Help Save Our Streams

by
Bill Whorton

There’s nothing like seeing a kid’s eyes light up as they make the connection between their daily activities and the quality of their local waters – all while splashing in a stream and looking at the creepy, crawly critters found there. Equally as rewarding is seeing a child who doesn’t thrive in a traditional classroom become a leader in the outdoor classroom.

The Izaak Walton League’s Save Our Streams program trains students and adults to monitor water quality and restore their local streams. Save Our Streams volunteers test water quality by identifying macroinvertebrates living in the water. Stream-bottom macroinvertebrates — including aquatic insects (such as dragonfly and damselfly larvae) and crustaceans (such as crayfish, snails, and clams) — are good indicators of water quality because they live in the same area of a stream most of their lives and differ in their sensitivity to pollution.

Which macroinvertebrates you find, or don’t find, in a stream indicates the pollution level of the water. Biological monitoring is a quick, inexpensive and accurate way to find out if water quality is good or poor, and it gives volunteers a baseline for tracking changes in stream health.

State and local government agencies often use volunteer-collected data to identify pollution problems and track long-term trends in water quality. Local Izaak Walton League chapters and watershed associations use the information to identify and prioritize sites for restoration and to track restoration success. The data can also be used to influence local planning decisions to protect sensitive waterways, and better yet, students see that what they are doing in school matters in the real world.

Getting students and adults engaged in stream monitoring is also a great first step toward building a love of the outdoors and a conservation ethic. They understand that their actions can improve water quality, and they become more willing to change daily behaviors – such as practicing water-friendly lawn care – to do so.

How Can You Bring Water Quality Monitoring to Your Students?

The best way to start a Save Our Streams program with your students is to connect with a local Izaak Walton League chapter, watershed association, or government agency volunteer monitoring program. To find a program near you, e-mail the Izaak Walton League at sos@iwla.org or visit EPA’s Surf Your Watershed Web page.

You can also start your own water monitoring program – we’ll show you how. For information about training sessions, monitoring equipment, manuals, and other resources, visit the League’s Save Our Streams Web page.

Water Quality and Stream Ecology Resources

There are many great lesson plans and educational resources that can help you prepare students for a day on the stream. Here are a few to get you started:

  • The Izaak Walton League’s Project Watershed brings experienced program leaders together with middle school and high school students to engage classes in biological, chemical, and physical stream monitoring. Visit the program’s Web site for a wealth of lesson plans and other resources.
  • The Izaak Walton League’s Save Our Streams project idea page includes information about stream monitoring, organizing a watershed cleanup, and projects such as making rain barrels and rain gardens. For links to other educational resources, visit our Educational Programs page.
  • The Bureau of Land Management’s Holding onto the GREEN Zone Guide provides hands-on classroom activities for middle school students on stream ecology, the role of streamside buffers, water quality, and conservation careers. Indoor and outdoor activities are included.