From left: Erin Farmer, Citizen Scientist; Sarah Bloch, visiting educator; Pam Moriearty, Master Naturalist; Ryan Farmer, Citizen Scientist; Dr. Dennis Campbell, Creekside Director; Mike Starasta, Master Naturalist trainee; David Simpson, Citizen Scientist; Jim Struebing, Master Naturalist. Not shown is Master Naturalist Rick Hobler, who took the picture.
 

Riverwatch:  Sugar Creek in good condition despite heavy flooding in 2015

[October 23, 2015]  LINCOLN - Logan County’s Riverwatch team has completed its site visits to Sugar Creek for 2015 and found the stream in good condition despite the heavy flooding of early summer.

In September, Master Naturalists Rick Hobler, Pam Moriearty, and Jim Struebing led a group of 4-H Citizen Scientists in a detailed analysis of the creek, checking water chemistry, habitat and invertebrate animal life. The stretch of water under study passes through Creekside, Lincoln College’s Outdoor Center for Environmental Education.

“We weren’t sure what we’d find this fall,” Dr. Moriearty said.  “In April, the stream was in great shape.  The water was clean, and we found lots of species, including pollution-sensitive ones.”  However, the heavy rains in early summer had taken their toll on the creek, reshaping the banks, washing away features like snags that would shelter invertebrates, and possibly bringing in debris and pollutants from upstream.  The group was not able to complete a scheduled summer survey because of high water and unstable banks.  “We were surprised and pleased with these latest results – the stream has really bounced back and is as healthy as it was this time last year.  Apparently this kind of natural shaking up is not harmful to it.”  The team found over five times as many organisms as they did in the fall of 2014, with similar numbers of pollution-sensitive species, though the total number of different species was down.  

The Riverwatch program at Creekside will continue next year with a schedule of spring, summer and fall site visits. If you are in fifth to twelfth grade and are interested in being a part of the 4-H Citizen Scientist team, spots will be will open in the spring. Prior membership in 4-H is not required to participate in Riverwatch.  However, volunteers should complete a Riverwatch training session.

Anyone interested in participating as a Citizen Scientist on the Logan County Riverwatch team next year can contact the local University of Illinois Extension office at 980 N. Postville Dr., Lincoln, telephone [phone], for information. Both 4H and Master Naturalists are University of Illinois Extension programs. For more information on the Master Naturalists, see http://web.extension .illinois.edu/lms/.  To learn more about Illinois Riverwatch, go to www.ngrrec.org/riverwatch . 

[Carissa Akpore, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development]