Thurston High School Students Are Doing Research in the Neighborhood!

Thurston High School has been leading the way for the past five years in integrating water science and field research into school curriculum. One area of focus is monitoring water quality in the McKenzie watershed. Testing for heavy metals, nutrients, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, fecal bacteria, pH, and conductivity, students have been learning how to identify hot spots of pollution. One such hot spot is the 69th street storm water system, which is showing high levels of fecal coliform bacteria. Discharge from the 69th street storm water outfalls goes directly into Cedar Creek, which in turn, discharges into the McKenzie River.

"I LOVED doing this! It was a lot of fun. We actually got to go out in the community and help out, and that made it very worthwhile."
-- K. Smith

My favorite part was "feeling like I was helping, even in a small way, to improve the environment, spread awareness, and improve the lives of people in the area."
-- J. Johnson

In partnership with the City of Springfield and Eugene Water and Electric Board, a new team of Thurston High School students have been conducting diagnostic tests of storm water in your area. These students hope to study the causes of high fecal bacteria in the 69th street storm water system. The students call themselves The 69th Street Diagnostic Team.

Where could the fecal coliform bacteria be coming from?

Why are high levels of fecal bacteria a concern?

1. Too much bacteria entering streams (such as Cedar Creek) can be harmful to birds, fish and other wild life that depend on the water.
2. Down stream cities (such as Eugene and Corvallis) use surface water for drinking. Approximately 2 miles down stream of the confluence of Cedar Creek and the McKenzie River is EWEBs’ intake that supplies drinking water to over 200,000 people in the Eugene area. Chlorine is added to the water to kill the bacteria, making it safe for human consumption. But the more bacteria there is, the more chlorine must be added, which diminishes the taste of the water and may create disinfectant by-product toxins (DBP’s).
3. Some forms of fecal bacteria can be harmful to children who swim or play in the water.

In the next few months you may see a team of student sampling in your neighborhood. Watch for two more fliers being distributed this spring to keep the Thurston Neighborhood updated on the project and our discoveries. For more information please call Tulsi Wallace, 69th Street Diagnostic Facilitator, at 541-344-6311 ex. 3051 or send us an email.