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Karns High Students Investigate Beaver Creek Watershed
Karns High Ecology Classes Fall Adopt-A-Watershed Project Land Use Impacts on Beaver Creek By: Mia Akaogi Throughout the fall semester, Mr. Doug Lakin, Ecology teacher at Karns High, and I lead his three Ecology classes through an investigation of the Beaver Creek Watershed. After learning about the fundamentals of watershed science including stream ecology dynamics and potential human imfluences, Mr. Lakin's students undertook an investigation examining how land use may be impacting the water quality of Beaver Creek. Fourteen sites were selected across the watershed from Gibbs to Karns, each with varying land uses. With the assistance of the AmeriCorps Team, water samples were collected from each of them. The students then analyzed each sample for chlorine, nitrogen, orthophosphate, and E. coli. West Knox Utility graciously also analyzed duplicate samples from these sites on the same day. Results of the sampling are shown in attached pdf file, Karns Investigative Results. As you can see there were two sites with high chlorine levels. These high levels were confirmed by the West Knox Utility analysis. Based on these results, the AmeriCorps team revisited these sites to identify potential sources of contamination. At each site, there were swimming pools within 100 ft of the creek. Results from the nitrogen analyses found one site to be high. An examination of how the adjacent land was being used lead the students to speculate that the nitrogen was possibly from fertilizers. There was a landscaping operation that was nearby. The orthophosphate tests indicated two sites with high levels. West Knox Utility did not run a duplicate on this. One site was found to have well manicured lawns, indicating that again the source of this contaminant might be from fertilizer. The other site was one with a nearby swimming pool, thereby leading the students to think the phosphorus might be from detergents. Finally, we and West Knox Utility also analyzed E. coli at all the sites. We used a quantitative method known as Coliscan. US EPA Region 4 has approved this method for Alabama Water Watch to use. Out of the 14 sites, we found six (43%) samples with 200 colonies per 100 ml or greater of E. coli. West Knox Utility simply reported their results as greater than 200 colonies per 100 ml and did not provide the specific levels. However, they did confirm the high readings that the students obtained. In summary, the students concluded that it does appear that how residents are using their land in the Beaver Creek Watershed is impacting its creeks' water quality. They were specifically concerned about the need to educate citizens of how to better manage their swimming pools and fertilizer application as well as on the importance of maintaining vegetative buffers. They recommend that the spring Ecology class continue this investigation, with the assistance of West Knox Utility and that the students along with the Beaver Creek Task Force continue to educate citizens and businesses on how they can help protect Beaver Creek. The results of this study were presented in two venues. Karns High Ecology students -- Jacob Sampson, Matt Marler, and Dillon Mount -- presented it at the December Beaver Creek Watershed Association meeting. Jacob then brought it to the Water Quality Forum's January meeting and presented it to over 25 Water Quality Forum members. We appreciate these students and their dedication to this project, including the many after school sessions to prepare for the presentations! Return
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