Water Journey Day 5: Water Testing and Sharing our Story

Campers gathered for a send-off at the drinking fountain.

Campers used part of their day to reflect on what they learned during their week at Water Journey camp. At a large touchscreen called the Geodesign, campers used GIS mapping technology to explore the story of water from the Mississippi, to their drinking fountain and back again. They each collected a few drops of Mississippi river water (from a sample we'd taken at River Park) into small vials attached to necklaces, to remember their experiences at the river. Finally, each camper selected two favorite photos from the many they had taken this week. Campers captioned their photos so that they could be displayed in the Water Journey camp exhibit at the Institute on the Environment.

Campers test the pH of a water sample.

Campers also challenged their science skills today. Working in small teams, campers conducted experiments on water samples from six different locations we visited. They found each sample's temperature, dissolved oxygen content, turbidity, and pH. When they talked through their findings as a group, several interesting similarities and differences between samples stuck out to the campers. For example, the pH and turbidity of their drinking fountain water exactly matched the pH and turbidity of finished water at the water treatment plant. The campers were also shocked to find that the water from the flocculation chamber inside the treatment plant had a pH and turbidity much higher than any other samples. All water testing results went on display at the Water Journey camp exhibit.

A camper shares the Water Journey exhibit with her family.

To cap off their week, campers enjoyed showing their parents around the Water Journey exhibit at the exhibit opening on Friday afternoon. University of Minnesota faculty, staff, students and visitors will also have the chance to learn about water's journey through campers' eyes at the exhibit, which is open through the end of June.

Water Journey Day 4: Planting in Sarita Wetland!

Camper Sophie ready to plant!
Photo Courtesy of Camper

Campers got their hands dirty today planting native species in the Sarita Wetland. These plants  will help the ground absorb water, clean the water, and provide habitat for wildlife. Before heading to the wetland, campers were taught all about native plants and their roots that help with infiltration. The plants were compared to superhero's which tied in with the superhero theme that is currently happening through Youth Programs.

Campers walking into Sarita Wetland
Photo Courtesy of Jonee Brigham

Map making was the next activity after the students came back from Sarita. A map of River Park, where the intake building can be seen, was decorated with pictures that campers took themselves. Just as a map was made for the start of the water journey, one was made for the end. This map showcased the water treatment plant alongside the Mississippi. Campers used watercolors to creatively interpret what they saw and felt along this week-long water journey.

Camper Anton painting his map.
Photo Courtesy of Jonee Brigham

Camper Sam taking a picture at Sarita Wetland
Photo Courtesy of Jonee Brigham

Water Journey Day 3: A Mississippi River boat tour!

Today the campers visited a water tower on campus to get an inside look at how one works. Cathy Abene, a Senior Engineer at the University of Minnesota and Lauren Wimler a Civil Engineer at the University of Minnesota opened the door (which many campers thought would lead to a rush of water) and led students inside to showcase the ladder that climbs all the way up to where the water is stored. Water towers rely on hydrostatic pressure produced by elevation of water (due to gravity) to push the water into the homes of local residents. Near the water tower was a pump station where campers saw the water meter that gages how much water is used on the St. Paul campus as well as pressure pumps.

Water pressure site. Photo courtesy of camper

Ladder going up the water tower.
Photo courtesy of camper.

Afterwards, the campers got to peer down a sewer manhole to see the stream of sewage that leaves the Institute on the Environment. Cathy and Co-Worker Dan Doyle lifted the over 250 pound lid closing the sewer with a strong magnet. Campers exclaimed how they saw toilet paper at the bottom while Cathy explained the importance of sewers and their role of keeping rivers and lakes clean.

Students surrounding the manhole. Photo courtesy of Jonee Brigham.

The journey continued to Harriet Island for a river boat ride along the Mississippi River. After students explored the different levels of the Padelford river boat, Brian Goodspeed, a Park Ranger with the U.S. National Park Service, answered a flurry of questions about our rivers and how to keep them clean. Some included “what happens downstream?” and “do you see any beavers?”. As a group, we poured out the water that we collected at the beginning of our journey (at the River Park intake) back into where it once came! What a day!

Brian Goodspeed and campers on the upper level of the river boat.
Photo courtesy of Jonee Brigham.

Campers were also encouraged to document what they were seeing along the Mississippi river in their journals. Here is a look at some of their amazing art:

Camper Sophie

Camper Tandece 

Camper Haley

Camper Allie

Water Journey Day 2: From the river to our tap!

Day two of drink week merged the AM and PM groups together for a field trip adventure! The first stop of the journey was River Park. Here campers had the chance to collect their own samples of river water right out of the Mississippi! Jodi Wallin, the Public Information Officer at Saint Paul Regional Water Services, and Alex Rossow, Water Quality Specialist, provided history regarding the Water Treatment Plant (across the river), as well as explaining the journey water takes from intake to tap.

Initial water intake plant on the Mississippi River - Photo Courtesy of camper

Additionally, the campers walked through the rain garden adjacent to the parking lot. Sarah and Dan, Environmental Scientists at Wenck,  showcased how runoff works by pouring water on pavement, grass, and prairie. They answered the many questions campers had about runoff and explained the effects bacteria and fertilizer can have on the river and its ecosystem.

Afterwards, a lunch stop was made at Sucker Lake, where Nick Voss, an educator for the Vadnais Lakes Area Watershed Management Organization and Tyler Thompson, a GIS Watershed Technician, displayed various aquatic life (dragonfly larvae, crayfish, and other small fish) and emphasized the importance of water quality on ecosystems. The campers also filled their vials with water from Sucker Lake to test turbidity, pH, and dissolved oxygen levels.

Aquatic species found in Sucker Lake -Photo courtesy of camper

The final stop was at the Water Treatment Plant, where staff gave us tours about the process of purifying water for drinking. We were allowed to enter the clarifier room that hold 2.6 million gallons of water. In this clarifier water is slowed down to allow gravity to settle the particles found in water until paddles at the bottom push the solids towards the center which are then pumped to the dewatering building. This water treatment plant serves 40 million gallons of water for 500,000 people in the metro area.

Drink Week Begins!

The first day of Drink Week was a success! Both groups started their journey with name games to get the ball rolling. Shortly after, a few items were given to them, which included: a water bottle for testing water, a Water Journey journal, and a camera assigned to each of the campers. Campers were then lead to the IonE water fountain where they were asked where their water came and where did it go after flowing down the drain? These questions intrigued many campers and got them eager to find an answer. Luckily, they are in store for a week of water exploration that will give them the tools and knowledge to become water experts!

Students surrounding the water fountain. Picture courtesy of Andreas Fenner

2017 Water Journey Camps!

Water Journey Camps are happening again summer 2017!

Drink Camp is June 12-16 and Rain Camp is June 19-23.

Check back here for updates through out the camps.

Presentation at U of MN Stormwater Meeting

Mississippi River Water Journey Camps were presented at the Annual University of Minnesota Stormwater Management Meeting on November 15, 2016, at Walter Library, Minneapolis, MN. This annual public meeting is part of the education and outreach the University does as part of its stormwater permit. Projects from the University community that research or communicate water's value were presented.