See below for an article published in The Toledo Blade:
Article published Thursday, April 26,
2007
RIVER RAISIN WATERSHED COUNCIL
Residents invited to help study stream life
project gives clues to watershed health
Teams of Monroe, Lenawee, and Washtenaw county
residents are invited Saturday to navigate local streams in search of
aquatic insects to help determine the health of the River Raisin and its
tributaries.
Because certain insects are more sensitive than others, it is possible to determine the watershed's health by collecting and counting the amount of insects that survive in it.
There is a team "collector," who wades into the stream and collects the insects; a stream "captain," who will keep track of the data, and a few "sorters," who will sit on the bank and pick through the insects and put them into vials of alcohol.
The vials will be sorted through, and free pizza will be served, on Bug ID Day, which will be held May 19 at Jackson Community College in Adrian.
The Stream Search and Bug ID Day are both run by the River Raisin Watershed Council, a nonprofit organization based in Adrian that works to protect the watershed by promoting understanding about its resources and by inspiring sustainable behavior.
Monroe County Drain Commissioner Dan Stefanski will be a captain for one of the Monroe expeditions on Saturday. He said searching for aquatic life can be a more accurate indicator for chemical and sediment pollution than other forms of testing.
"Chemicals may be in the water in amounts that you may not be able to analyze, but that may still affect the aquatic life," Mr. Stefanski said. "So you can take a look at the life in the water, swim around in there, and see how many of the sensitive insects we can find."
He said the tributaries in Monroe are not tip-top, but they are not terminally ill,` either.
"We get some pollution because we are in the flush end of the Raisin, meaning we get what everyone flushes down to us," he said.
Last year, Catherine Acerboni, an administrative assistant with the Monroe Conservation District, was a collector.
"I was in the water, with the net, getting bugs," Ms. Acerboni said.
She said she is looking forward to diving in again Saturday, rain or shine.
"It rained all day last fall, but when you are standing in the water all day it doesn't matter."
Kara Tecco, coordinator of the Stream Search for the River Raisin Watershed Council, said pollution in the River Raisin can affect streams in Monroe, Lenawee, Fulton, Hillsdale, Jackson, and Washtenaw counties.
The entire watershed is about 1,072 square miles, according to the council - roughly the size of Rhode Island.
Interested participants from Monroe can meet 9 a.m. Saturday at the Monroe Conservation District, 1137 South Telegraph Rd. Participants can also go to Jackson Community College in Adrian or Saline Mill Pond Park in Saline, also both at 9 a.m.
More information is available on the River Raisin Watershed Council's Web site, www.riverraisin.org.
