Mill Creek Restoration Water Quality Program

How many of you that live in Great Cincinnati know that you live within miles of the most polluted urban river in the United States? That's right, Mill Creek River, was designated the most polluted urban river in the United States! Despite the cool weather and the rain, we had an AMAZING time at this program. I can not believe how HANDS ON everything is, how clearly the information was presented to the kids, and how wonder Lora from Mill Creek Restoration Project was! We plan to do another water study, possibly of the same creek, in the spring. Still waiting on a few results, I will share them when we get everything computed.

What: Mill Creek Restoration Water Quality Program--FULL!!
Where: Keehner Park West Chester, OH
When: Wednesday October 14th 10 AM to 2 PM (includes a break for lunch, please bring lunch with you)
Who: Homeschoolers ages 6-14, limited to 20 participants
RSVP: Laura

Please come dressed for the weather (rain or shine) and wear boots or water shoes as we will be getting into the water to do the macroinvertebrate study, water temperature and to pull water samples.Our day will start with a 45 minute introduction to the Mill Creek watershed and the purpose of our water quality study presented by Lora Alberto of the Mill Creek Restoration Project(www.millcreekrestoration.org). We will then break for lunch. Following lunch we will begin the water quality study which is extremely hands on and includes macroinvertebrate collection, water sampling, and running tests on the water including nitrate levels,water turbidity, phosphate levels, dissolved oxygen, ph levels, water temperature and fecal coliform bacteria testing. Each child will get to participate in running each of the tests, they will rotate in groups through stations where each test will be conducted.

Mill Creek in southwest Ohio is one of the most severely polluted and physically degraded streams in the United States. In 1997, because of its multiple stressors and sources of pollution, the national river conservation group American Rivers designated Mill Creek as "the most endangered urban river in North America." The stream flows 28 miles south from its headwaters in Butler County through the geographic heart of Hamilton County and the City of Cincinnati to its confluence with the Ohio River, just west of the downtown riverfront. Its watershed covers southeast Butler County and approximately the central third of Hamilton County and encompasses all or parts of 37 political jurisdictions. Within the City of Cincinnati,over forty neighborhoods are located in the Mill Creek drainage basin.