Draft 1 Collin's Run Group A Is Absolutely Wonderful...

This topic submitted by Lauren Hoffman, Craig Eley, Randy Wilson ( rb2marcie@hotmail.com ) on 3/1/02 .

Introduction:

Our project is an attempt to understand the complex, two-way interaction between humans and their environment. Specifically, this project will focus on the Collins Run watershed located in southwestern Ohio. Our areas of concentration will be sections of the stream that flow through and around the town of Oxford, OH. This project will use an interdisciplinary and multimedia approach to show the impact of humans on the watershed and the impact that this watershed has had on humans. We have several hypotheses that we hope to explore and develop. The first is that overall, our watershed will be in a less disturbed state than Western Pond (where similar research is currently underway) and in a more disturbed state than Harker's Run (again, where research is underway). We hope that these simultaneous projects will add to a broad understanding of our specific watershed, as well as the region in general. Through scientific investigation, social and historical research, and personal exploration and development, we hope to gather a diverse and complex data set to analyze. We plan to accomplish an innovative, thorough, and stimulating presentation of this impact of man to nature and nature to man.

Some of our specific questions are as follows:

Will the pH, dissolved oxygen, phosphorus levels, nitrate levels, and fish diversity decrease in relation to the extent of disturbances surrounding Collin's Run?

Hypothesis: Yes. We believe that sites that suffer from the most human disturbance will have the highest nitrate and phosphorous levels, lower pH, less diversity and more erosion than the less disturbed sites of the watershed.

Are outward signs of ecological disturbances a reliable way to determine how disturbed a watershed is?

Hypothesis: Not Necessarily. Disturbances will vary also according to whether the location is upstream or downstream of a disturbance, whether the area has other factors (i.e. human interaction that is not readily seen) that will affect the health of the watershed, etc.

How will the watershed impact our personal development and growth, as well as teach us interdisciplinary thinking?

Hypothesis: We are not sure at all. We will find out after the creation of our Walden, our artwork, etc.

Lit. Review:

Ohio's Streamside Forests
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Columbus Ohio, 1998

This book will be extremely helpful in that it describes the importance of the riparian areas and buffer zones contained in watersheds. It also discusses the importance of healthy oxygen levels, nitrogen levels, and phosphorus levels in relation to maintaining biodiversity. It also goes on to talk about sediment loads and how an increased sediment load may indicate a more disturbed ecosystem. Finally, this book talks about specific ways that wildlife areas can be protected and ways in which aquatic populations can be maintained.

Wild Ohio
Weber, Art
Northword Press: Wisconsin, 1995

This book will be important because it also discusses the importance of healthy streams and watersheds. It also discusses in depth the importance of natural buffers and how pollution can affect the buffer zones negatively. This book will be important because it is specifically in the context of Ohio rivers and streams.

The Enemy is Us
ed. deVilleneuve, Robert
Winston Press, Minneapolis, 1973

This book will be important because it discusses the cultural aspects of how watersheds are disturbed. It talks about how the private ownership of land and other aspects affect nature. It also goes on to talk about how the current cultural social trends are focused towards democracy and technological ideals, leading to a greater emphasis on private property and a smaller emphasis on nature.

Ecology of Fresh Waters: Man and Medium
Moss, Brian
Blackwell Scientific Publications: Oxford, 1988

This book is important because it talks about pollution in aquatic environments. It also talks about stream communities and the effect that erosion and other factors has on streams. This will allow us to compare our results to other similar studies done on watersheds. It then goes on to talk about fish communities in watersheds. We will be able to apply this knowledge when testing areas of fish diversity.

Habitat Creation and Repair
Oliver L. Gilbert and Penny Anderson
Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1998

This book is important because it explores many of the different aspects of stream watersheds and what can be done to promote positive habitat maintenance. This book will be important when learning about ways to increase the health of the Collin's Run watershed.

Methods in Stream Ecology
ed. Hauer, F. Richard and Lamberti, Gary A.
Academic Press: New York, 1996

This book is important because it explores different areas of stream flow analysis, and it also talks about the importance of a low phosphorus count in streams in order to maintain biodiversity. Basically, this book will be important because it discusses the many different factors that come into play when determining the health of a watershed.

Restoration Ecology: A synthetic approach to Ecological Research
ed. Jordon III, William; Gilpin, Michael E., and Aber, John D.
Cambridge University Press, New York, 1987

This book is going to be important because it discusses ways that disturbed natural areas can be successfully restored. This will be important when we are discussing possible solutions as to how to possibly restore the most disturbed areas in the Collin's Run watershed.

Ecological Restoration and Watershed Management
Minamyer, Kenneth Scott
Miami University: 2001

This thesis is important because it discusses a specific example of ways in which the integrity of watersheds can be restored. It is of particular interest because it is a thesis that was explored by a Miami University student, and thus allows us to see what other people have done in order to try to protect and restore wildlife areas, particularly watersheds.

Damaged Ecosystems and Restoration
Rana, B.C.
World Scientific Publishing Company, Singapore, 1998

This book is useful because it lays out the different kinds of restoration of eco-systems at a landscape level while also suggesting ways to rehabilitate society during restoration to help both the eco-system and local communities.

Repairing Damaged Wildlands: A Process Oriented, Landscape-Scale Approach
Steven G. Whisenant
Cambridge University Press, New York 1999

This book makes the point that restoration does not have to return to exactly how it was historically but to a point that the area can start to recover by it?s own volition. Most restoration attempts are avoided due to costs, but true restoration should not need continual and repeated input of money over long periods of time.

Relate to a Larger Question:

There are claims that in this age of technology we have lost touch with the natural world, that we only interact with it when we are forced to do so and would prefer to be watching television or surfing the internet rather than going on a creek walk. While this may be true, this does not mean that nature no longer has any effect upon us socially or culturally but that it?s effects are not quite as obvious as the may once have been. We may not depend on our waterways for transportation anymore, nor are we too eager to go jump in the Ohio River for fear of pollution but nature and watersheds do still hold importance. Nature has not been reduced to being merely part of our shared history, it is a part of society and culture today, the only question is how does nature affect humans if it is not through direct and constant contact?

Interdisciplinary Approach:

Our project plans on incorporating all three of the disciplines from the Western College Program core curriculum. These are Natural Systems, Social Systems, and Creativity and Culture. Within our study this will manifest itself in several ways. For the sake of simplification, these aspects will be separated into their disciplines. Concluding remarks will address the interdisciplinary synthesis and incorporation of these ideas into a meaningful whole. Note that these ideas are meant to cover general ideas, and a detailed and specific research design immediately follows this section and lays out specific plans for each of these concepts.

Scientific Aspects:

We are going to look at the biodiversity of the site, looking at the types of trees and organisms that we come across. This will include a fish count so that we can gauge the biodiversity of the run itself.

In order to gauge the chemical composition of the water, we are going to look at the amounts of nitrates and phosphorous in the water. By doing so, we will be able to tell if fertilizer runoff has played a large part in threatening the integrity of Collins Run.

We are also going to test the pH of Collins Run in order to see if there may be other factors that are threatening the integrity of the natural habitat. If we find that the pH is not facilitative to the organisms of the water, we will research why the water has an altered pH and propose ways to return it to its natural pH.

We will also research the sediment load of the watershed in order to gauge the natural characteristics of the watershed. We will then be able to more accurately describe the water flow characteristics.

Social Science:

In order to experience first-hand the types of activities and recreation that occur in our system we are planning on camping out there for a weekend. This will allow us to witness activities as well as collect data and inspiration for the other aspects of project.

We also plan on establishing a detailed history of the land and land use, including the legislative history (laws on dumping, zoning, commercial use) of our region. This will include looking into the possibility of an impact from the old Oxford landfill.

Along with this type of history we will look into local feelings on the land, which may include interviews and an analysis of present and past folklore.

The educational aspects of this area will also be explored. By talking to local schools, Boy Scout Troops, PWEEP, and other organizations, we will explore the social and educational benefits of our watershed

Arts and Humanities

For this aspect of our project we plan to use our camping experience as well as our overall experience to convey our feelings with the land in a creative form. We plan on creating a visual piece to be displayed with our project, as well as our own writings and meditations on the experience.

To facilitate this idea we plan on using the idea of Walden, applying it to our camping experience, and writing about it.

We will also look at other writings on this land, and on land in general, with the idea of creating a bibliography of creative pieces for further exploration.

In summation, we plan to incorporate these ideas into a multimedia piece that fully explores the impact of humans on the watershed and the watershed on humans. By looking at the scientific, social, and cultural aspects of these interaction we hope to form a complete picture that attempts to capture the complex interactions of man and nature.

Specific Research Design: ,/big>

Our specific research design is as follows. We plan to investigate the following aspects of our watershed: pH, phosphorus levels, dissolved oxygen, nitrate levels, and fish diversity. We plan to execute these measurements in the following way. First of all, for all of the tests, we are going to go out to Collins Run on five different occasions to test all of the variables we have set. We are going to test at several different locations: around neighborhoods, where the road crosses over the creek, the bluffs and areas that look less disturbed. We will repeat each of the five tests ten times on each occasion we visit the creek. We will then take this data and analyze it for significant trends relating to the health of the watershed compared to the location of the tests within the watershed area.

Materials and Methods:

Important Materials and how they will be Used:

Important materials that will be used in the course of our research project are as follows. It will be important that we have a sufficient number of receptacles to hold water samples. We will also need coffee filters in order to be able to test the sediment load of the stream at different areas. Also, we will use devices to measure pH, phosphorus levels, nitrate levels, and dissolved oxygen content. This will allow us to test these different variables and make connections as to whether the integrity of the surrounding riparian area affects the chemical makeup of the watershed. Also, we are going to need the fish shocker in order to sample for fish diversity in the water. We will need to do this in order to find out if the potential chemical differences in the stream have a significant effect on the fish diversity of the watershed.

Teamwork:
Within our own team, we are lucky to have a group that is friendly and works well together. We have already begun the process of working together in group meetings as well as group visits to the sites. Specifically, we plan on working as team as much as possible while also emphasizing individual strengths. A fine example of our teamwork in action will be the camping weekend, where will read, write, paint, collect data. And live as a group. Also, our differing schedules will be used as strength as we move into the process of testing and experimenting. Our varied schedules will allow for rotation and relief during the lab process. We are going to work with other teams in the following way. First of all, we are going to regularly engage in discussion of projects and resources with Collins Group B. These discussions will provide a valuable forum for sharing ideas and materials. Depending on the nature of the studies, sharing of data, observations, and information would also occur. Lastly, a general comparison will be made to every other group. This will allow us to see how our watershed fits into the larger scheme of things. Meetings here will not be as involved or frequent as the meetings with Collins Group B.

Statistics:

Once we have collected all of our data we will use Statview to help us analyze it and to help us understand what it means.

Sample Data Sheet:

Part of Stream Type of Measurement being taken (i.e. pH, DO) Result of Measurement

Time Line:

March 4 ? lay out all of the sites to sample
March 18 ? start collecting data samples and try to start collecting them at least once a week
April 13 ? campout at Collin?s run
April 15 ? reflect on the camping and the effect it has had on us

Internet sources:

A serious flood in Oregon and the effects it had on local humans.

Housatonic River Restoration Plan

Like the TVCT, a descriptive and well-laid out plan to restore the watershed of a river to the benefit of the humans and nature.

Watershed Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation: The French Creek Project

A university effort to study biodiversity of a watershed and how to conserve it.

Effects of Human Land Use on Fish Population (The Fishbusters)

Biodiversity of fish study with data from Collin?s Run

Sedimentary Budget Analysis

Sediment study carried out on Western Pond

Water Quality In and Around Miami University and Oxford

A water quality study based in Collin?s Run and carried out last semester.

The National Wild & Scenic Rivers Act,

What the act says and the implications of it.

Urban Riparian Restoration in the Difficult Run Watershed

How an urban watershed was restored with positive effects on the habitat and humans.

Managing Natural Resources as Social Value

The value of intact natural areas for society

Inland Waters Workshop:
Watersheds of The World: Ecological Value And Vulnerability

The global importance of watersheds and the negative impact that degradation has on socio-economics

HOW DO WE AFFECT WATERSHED AND THEIR LIVING RESOURCES? PIECING IT ALL TOGETHER: PORTRAITS OF THREE WATERSHEDS

How humans impact watersheds and ways to reduce impact to the benefit of humans and the watersheds.

Patterns of a Conservation Economy

Explains why it would be in the best interest of the economy and the environment to go hand-in-hand rather than be pitted against each other as they currently are

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