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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 11, 2002
Contacts:
Laura Vernon, DEQ Public Information Officer, (801) 536-4484
Michelle Kramer, Provo School District Public Relations Assistant, (801) 372-3125
(Provo Canyon, Utah) - A Provo High School science teacher and his students embarked on an exciting four-month quest not knowing how it would all end. They spent their summer on the Provo River, collecting samples of the water from the Uintah Mountains all the way down to Utah Lake. They wanted to know one simple thing: Is the water quality of the Provo River good or bad?
What they discovered pleased them and concerned them. After collecting water samples at 30 sites along the river and analyzing the data, they concluded that the Provo River is generally in good shape, especially near Jordanelle Dam. However, as the river meanders to more populated areas, the quality of the water degrades somewhat.
"The cleanest water we had all summer was just below Jordanelle Dam," said science teacher Ty Robinson. "It was cool, clear and had good oxygen content. Not surprisingly, the dirtiest water was in Provo. But overall, the river is clean."
In addition, Robinson and his students confirmed that what goes down storm drains impacts the health of the river. Storm drains capture water flowing across streets and parking lots. As it flows, the water picks up trash, dirt, oil, animal waste, fertilizer and other things left behind by motor vehicles, people and animals. This polluted water, known as runoff, goes directly into our streams, lakes and rivers. Runoff pollution affects fish and other wildlife and can also contaminate drinking water supplies.
"We saw evidence of runoff pollution toward the end of the Provo River where the population base is located," Robinson said. "That part of the river receives water from storm drains."
Robinson and his students also learned that water conservation makes a difference. Unnecessary water use not only contributes to water shortages but also adds to the volume of wastewater that must be treated by sewage treatment plants. Conservation helps preserve the environment by decreasing pollution.
"The Provo River Watershed will retain its high quality and beauty if we improve our efforts to protect it," Robinson said.
Don Ostler, director of the Utah Division of Water Quality, echoes that sentiment. "In this time of substantial population growth, the only way we will have success is if we increase our knowledge of water pollution and commit to change personal habits."
Robinson said their project barely scratched the surface compared to what others are doing. So, why then go to all the effort? "The Provo River is our life blood," Robinson said. "The river is in good shape, but we need to take better care of it."
There's still more to be done. This project produced 20 spin-off projects that Robinson and his students can't wait to begin. "The Provo River has been the best teaching tool I've ever had, and my students are excited about doing more," he said.
To help with the Provo River project, Robinson recruited about seven high school students but said that as many as 50 people worked on some aspect of the project. They consulted water experts from the Central Water Conservancy District and Utah Division of Water Quality. In addition, Robinson was able to use the hydrogeology lab at Brigham Young University (BYU) to analyze their samples. The students also used an electron microscope at BYU to take pictures of diatoms, a unique form of algae.
"I'm really proud of what my students have done," Robinson said.
This past week, Robinson and four of his students attended the Youth Watershed Summit in Maryland where they presented their project. While there, they also participated in a watershed study of the Chesapeake Bay, visited the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and the Baltimore National Aquarium and met with First Lady Laura Bush and EPA Administrator Christie Todd Whitman.
The Youth Watershed Summit was part of a national celebration to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the federal Clean Water Act. In Utah, Gov. Mike Leavitt has signed a declaration establishing October 2002 as "Clean Water Month" and 2002 as the "Year of Clean Water."
Information on the Youth Watershed Summit is available on the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's Web site at www.serc.si.edu (opens in a new window). The Web site for America's Clean Water Foundation, a sponsor of the summit, is www.acwf.org. For more information on the "Year of Clean Water," please visit www.yearofcleanwater.org (opens in a new window).
If your school or community would like to participate in a similar project, please contact Shelly Quick at (801) 538-6516 for more information about the Utah Division of Water Quality's Adopt-a-Waterbody program.
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