FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 4, 2004

Contact: Heather Van Den Berg
248-601-0606
heather@crwc.org

Students, educators, and mentors will turn the Clinton River into an outdoor classroom during the month of October as they test physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of our meandering laboratory.

Nearly 2,500 area students from across Macomb and Oakland counties will study the quality of water in the Clinton River and its tributaries as part of the Stream Leaders Program. Now in its 12th year, this is part of the water-quality monitoring program for students coordinated by the Clinton River Watershed Council. “This is a wonderful opportunity to share Southeast Michigan’s water resources with area youth. They are amazed with what they discover in the thriving ecosystems beneath the water’s surface,” said Heather Van Den Berg, CRWC Education Director. “The students also begin to realize our responsibility for stewardship of our water resources.”

Students 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. Over 26 different sites in 15 communities will be monitored by students including Stony Creek, Paint Creek, Red Run Drain, as well as the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair.

Students from 26 area schools will partner up with mentors from area business such as King Pharmaceuticals, Environmental Consulting and Technology, Inc., Daimler Chrysler Foundation, Rochester Rotary Charities, and General Motors. This is part of an on-going partnership between our schools and local businesses to get kids excited about science and their community. The student monitoring will kick off on Wednesday, October 6th, with other classes and business mentors conducting their site visits later in the week.

Together with the assistance of the mentors and the guidance of their teachers, the students will develop a Community Action Project based on their Spring and Fall Monitoring results. The students will share their stream survey results and their action project at the annual Stream Leaders’ Student Congress on October 28th at the Macomb Intermediate School District.

The Clinton River watershed covers 760 square miles through four counties (Macomb, Oakland, Lapeer, and St. Clair). Over 1.4 million people live in the 60 communities through which the Clinton River flows before reaching Lake St. Clair. CRWC is a non-profit environmental organization that protects, enhances, and celebrates the Clinton River, its watershed, and Lake St. Clair.