Bowling Green Middle School students, in partnership with the City of Bowling Green and the Wood County
Solid Waste Management District, will be monitoring water quality of several watersheds within the city,
including the Portage River.
While this work has been a staple of the seventh-grade science curriculum for over 15 years, its
importance is highlighted by the recent water crisis caused by algal blooms in Lake Erie. Over the
course of three weeks, students will perform water quality testing, research their watershed, talk to
neighbors about surface water and compile their results.
On Oct. 1 and Oct. 2. students will travel to William Henry Harrison Park in Pemberville to perform water
quality sampling, macro-invertebrate surveys and riparian assessments. Students will get their feet wet
and their hands dirty as they test for seven water quality indicators, as well as collect and categorize
taxa including stoneflies, mayflies, water penny beetles, crayfish, dragonflies, etc. The data will be
compiled and the quality of the river will be scored.
Following the Portage River evaluation, students will collect water samples from the Bowling Green area
and test it for the same parameters as they test at the Portage River.
In the classroom they will discuss the history of the Portage River watershed and the natural buffers
that help lessen the human impact on our water supply. Students will then create posters, bumper
stickers, billboards and brochures to educate the citizens of Wood County on the importance of
protecting the freshwater ecosystems.
The City of Bowling Green Utilities Department will use the data compiled by the students in the planning
and implementation of their Stormwater Management Program.
This three-week water quality unit has been taught at BGMS for nearly two decades; however, this year’s
program is funded in part by an Ohio Environmental Education Fund grant through Ohio EPA, which has
allowed BGMS to purchase additional testing supplies that will be used for years to come.