Gilleland Creek project promotes water quality awareness and understanding

Gilleland Creek project promotes water quality awareness and understanding

By Terry Hanley Thursday, 04 December 2008

On Dec. 3, two classes from Park Crest Middle School participated in a "bacteria snapshot day" aimed at making Pflugerville residents more aware of water quality issues in Gilleland Creek. Volunteers from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Texas Stream Teams worked with the students at Pfluger Park to help them better understand the creek's chemical and biological components and to increase their understanding of E. coli levels.

Rob Quarels, a seventh grade science teacher at Park Crest Middle School, said that his classes also monitor water samples from another site at Wilbarger Creek to stay current on water quality in local watersheds. He said that his students enjoy the hands on learning experience because it gets them out of the classroom environment.

"The biggest thing I see from the kids is as they grow older and get into high school, they grow interested in the science field," Quarels said. "Hopefully they carry this on as citizens. My goal is that they use the park, so as users they have an obligation to take care of it as well, and I think they do a good job of that."

Amanda Ross, a volunteer coordinator with LCRA's River Watch network, said that the LCRA was contracted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality after the TCEQ elevated Gilleland Creek's status as impaired body of water in 2004 to investigate higher bacteria levels and find their sources. The portion of the creek that runs through Pflugerville is not listed as impaired.

"This was a simple opportunity to get a student group out and help them understand that their school is in the watershed and that anything that comes down the hill is going to end up in this creek," Ross said.

Aside from educating the students about the watershed, Ross said the activity also shows students career opportunities available in the water quality field.

Six samples for E. coli bacteria levels were collected at 140 sites from within the Gilleland Creek watershed. The sample sites include Gilleland Creek, Elm Creek, Harris Branch, Decker Creek, Gilleland Creek West Fork and other ponds and storm water retention ponds within the watershed.

For more, visit http://waterquality.lcra.org/gill, www.tceq.state.tx.us or www.lcra.org.