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February 14, 2006
LIVINGSTON,
Ala.—Several University of West Alabama students and faculty
recently received training from the Alabama Water
Watch (AWW) to learn water chemistry monitoring. AWW
educates citizens about water issues in Alabama and
the world and partners with local monitors to make
positive impacts on water quality and policy.
The six-hour course, offered through Dr. John McCall’s
ecology class, taught the participants how to
monitor and evaluate physical, chemical and
biological features of water. The class measured
several water quality parameters at Lake LU with
customized test kits, including pH, temperature,
total alkalinity, total hardness, dissolved oxygen
and turbidity.
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UWA ecology students tested Lake LU
water for variables including pH and
turbidity during training sessions from
the Alabama Water Watch. |
Dr. Ketia Shumaker, Assistant Professor of biology
and environmental sciences, said the training
program was very successful, even though the group
had to brave cold temperatures on the lake.
“The Alabama Water Watch workshop went really well
this past Saturday even in the mist of snow
flurries,” Dr. Shumaker said. “I would like to thank
everyone that participated and had a part in making
things come together.”
UWA students taking part included Hope Fonbah, Abbie
Abram, Joseph Sungail, Jessica Jacquay, April
Harris, Deon Herlong, Amy Justice, Bart Henderson
and Hiram Hendking. UWA professors Shumaker and Dr.
Donald Salter also participated in the training.
AWW is coordinated through Auburn University's Department of
Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures and the
International Center for Aquaculture and Aquatic
Environments. Since the AWW Program began in 1992,
nearly 230 citizen groups have become involved with
water monitoring on hundreds of bodies of water.
Monitors have sampled 1,600 sites on 500 bodies of
water and submitted over 32,000 chemistry and 6,000
bacteriological data forms. This water information
has had positive impacts on education, restoration
and local-to-state water policy.
The UWA water monitors will soon undergo training in stream
biomonitoring, which teaches the principles and
practice of using stream macroinvertabrates to
evaluate a stream's water quality, and
bacteriological training to identify bacteria such
as E. coli in the water. |
