The Prairie Waters Education

and Research Center

Valley City State University

Goal

• To establish a learning center dedicated to

water education that serves a wide variety

of clientele including students, teachers,

and resource personnel.

Introduction

•We have started a Center that is a

statewide resource for water education,

research, and management.

• Four main areas of emphasis:

– Educational activities for K-12 students

– Workshops for teachers

– Professional workshops

– House the VCSU Macroinvertebrate lab and

involve college students in research, education,

and outreach activities related to water

The Site - Kathryn School

Educational Activities for K-12

•Bring school groups to the Center for water

education

– Displays for the commons area

– Classroom activities

– Field trips to nearby resources

•Outreach programs

Center Use

• In year one served approximately 900 k -12

students

• Year two – app. 1320

• Year three – app 2000

River Watch

•Part of our mission is to oversee the River

Watch program in ND

•Gives high school students experience in

taking water quality measurements in their

local area

• Currently working with 6 schools in North

Dakota

River Watch

•We provide equipment:

–YSI multiprobe sonde

–Water sampling bottle

–Hach Turbidimeter

–Turbidity tube

River Watch

• Training

–Calibrating equipment

• Funding

–Cover 60% of transportation and

substitute teacher costs

•Host River Watch Conference twice a year

•Website for data

River Watch

• Current River Watch schools:

–West Fargo High School

–Sargent Central High School

–Mayville Portland High School

–Montpellier High School

–Kensal High School

–Hatton High School

River Watch

• In 2012 we had four River Watch schools

present at the North Dakota Water Quality

Monitoring Conference

•We plan on several schools also presenting

this spring at the 2014 NDWQM Conference

Teacher Workshops

•Provide a variety of workshops for teachers

–River Watch training

•Partner with other entities to provide

workshops

– ND Great Plains STEM Workshop – Fort Yates

– North Dakota Geographical Alliance workshop

– Project Wet workshops

Professional workshops

•Work with state agencies to facilitate their

needs

–Workshops for Soil Conservation District

and NRCS personnel

– In 2013 held two workshops entitled

Water 101

•One at Prairie Waters

•Other in Dickenson

Professional workshops

Working with the North Dakota

Department of Health in developing

Certification program for water quality

monitoring

• Held a workshop in May of 2013 that

focused on water quality monitoring for

rivers and streams

Macroinvertebrate Lab – Student

Research

• Continue providing opportunities for

undergraduate experiences and research

–We do water quality measurements on

Lake Ashtabula for the Army Corps of

Engineers

Macroinvertebrate Lab – Student

Research

•Do a variety of projects with the North

Dakota Game and Fish

–We currently do the Zebra Mussel

sampling for North Dakota Game and Fish

– -Summer of 2013 we did a search for an

invasive species called the rusty crayfish

–Have done various mussels surveys to

examine water quality in the Sheyenne

River

Funding

• VCSU

•North Dakota Game and Fish Outreach

•North Dakota Department of Health 319

grant

Personnel

•Dr. Andre DeLorme - Director

•Bonita Roswick – Education Specialist

• Louis Wieland – Lab Manager

Questions?