Cloe Lake Watershed Education Days
May 12 & 13, 2010
Two watershed education days were held at Cloe Lake near Punxsutawney,
PA. The stream that feeds this man-made lake is Jackson Run. This stream provides an excellent opporturnity to study the
variable factors that impact a watershed. Approximately, one hundred and ten Punxsutawney High School students in 9th and 10th
grade Academic Biology classes participated in this event.
During the Biological Parameters station, students used a kick net
to sample the stream for macroinvertebrates. The samples were identified and quantified to determine relative water quality.
Chemical Parameters allowed students to test the stream’s water for levels
of dissolved oxygen, hardness, turbidity, pH, alkalinity, iron and nitrates. The results were compared with recommended levels
to sustain freshwater aquatic life.
At a third station, students
mapped a 33 meter section of Jackson Run. Each year the students map the same area so they can determine if the stream is changing
its course over the years. At the mapping station, the students also calculated the slope of the stream.
Physical Parameters, including stream and air temperature, stream width and depth, and stream velocity were measured at a fourth station. Using the measured width, depth and velocity, students then calculated the volume of flow.
After completion of the watershed days, the students went back to their classroom to complete their calculations and comparisons. They were required by their classroom teachers to write a paper that outlined their results and observations. In their papers,
they each had to declare the relative health of Jackson Run based on their field day. They also entered their data on the DCNR
Watershed Education Database to be used for past and future comparisons. A final piece of the students’ report was to use their
classroom Wiki web page to report their findings. The Wiki can be accessed at http://cloelake.wikispaces.com.
A kick net is put in the water to catch stream life.
The kick net is inspected for moving aquatic life.
It is then carefully taken to the streambank.
Macroinvertebrates are identified using the key.
Information is carefully recorded for further evaluation.
A rope is stretched across the stream to use for measuring.
The stream width, depth and velocity were measured.
After recent rains, the stream was high.