News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sisters High School students will apply their science studies to a real-life project beginning this fall as they monitor Squaw Creek.
The students will play a critical role in the success of a $15,926 grant administrated by the Deschutes County Watershed Council and the Soil and Conservation District.
According to watershed resources coordinator Barbara Lee, the students and volunteers will collect data on 20 miles of Squaw Creek -- information ranging from stream temperature flows, acidity or alkalinity and aquatic insects.
The data the students collect will be analyzed in an effort to get a complete picture of the riparian conditions along the creek. That information, according to Lee, will help the Sisters community make informed decisions about the creek and its uses.
"We're hoping to involve the community in a collaborative approach to using the resources in the watershed," Lee said.
The funding cycle of the grant is two years, but, Lee said, "the project may well extend beyond that."
Lee said the grant administrators are currently working on guidelines for when and how data is collected.
The grant came from the Governor's Watershed Enhancement Board.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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