West Iron County High School Stream Monitoring

Science students from West Iron County High School have partnered with the Iron Lake Homeowner's Association to monitor the Iron River.

Article Published in The Iron County Reporter (October 8, 2003)

Munising High School student Garett Saari wades into the Iron River and dips his net deep to unearth some of the riverbed to be checked for stream quality during the Michigan Lake & Stream Assoc. stream study training program.

Jeff Kalember (second from left) shows members of the Iron Lake Homeowners Assoc. and high school science teachers attending a stream study training on Oct. 24 a three-year old dragonfly which was brought up from the river bottom. Kalember said that this shows a sign of a healthy river for the past three years.

Munising High School science teacher Ted Williams (left), Iron Lake Homeowners Assoc. Pat Swanson and WIC High School science teacher Joel VanLanen study a viewing pan looking for samples of stoneflies, mayflies or other bugs as part of a workshop for testing overall health of streams.

Bob Miklesh, science teacher at Marinesco looks on as teacher Ted Williams and student Cassie Heyrman of Munising check the amount of dissolved oxygen in the Iron River. Cassie said that trout optimally need eight-to-10 parts-per-million of dissolved oxygen in the water and their test showed seven-to-eight parts-per-million in the river.

Stream study training held along the Iron River By Janet Rohde

IRON RIVER—Michigan Lake and Stream Assoc. along with the Iron Lake Homeowners Assoc. sponsored a stream study training program in Iron River on Oct. 24. The presentation was held at the West Iron County Schools administration building followed by field work in and by the Iron River along the RV trail.

Jeff Kalember of Gaylord presented the program whereby waterquality of streams and rivers could be monitored. He explained that collecting samples of benthic macroinvertebrate – stoneflies, mayflies and other bugs – the overall health of the stream could be determined.

Two students and their science teacher from Munising High School accompanied Kalember to demonstrate the field process. The students will be required to report on the training session and assist in programs in their area. Also participating in the training were members of the Iron Lake Homeowners Assoc., WIC High School science teacher Joel VanLanen and two other high school science teachers from Marinesco and Norway.

The steam study held in Iron River, Kalember explained, was part of a three part program sponsored by Michigan Lake and Stream Assoc. to educate Michigan youth about stream quality. The training began in 10 schools in the northern Lower Peninsula. The second step, he continued, was to bring the training to the Upper Peninsula and the third would be to reach schools in the southern Lower Peninsula.

Kalember, a science teacher at the Gaylord High School, said that he grew up in the U.P. and was glad to be here working. Michigan Lakes and Stream Assoc., along with the Gaylord High School had received grant funding to develop a lake testing program, and has recently received additional funds to expand the program to include streams.

The association states that the purpose of the program is to foster working relationships between lake associations and high schools, gather water quality data, and to educate youth about the delicate and important nature of our lakes.

Last updated July 07, 2004